Kapil Dev facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kapil Dev
Dev in 2013
Personal details
Born	Kapil Dev Nikhanj (1959-01-06) 6 January 1959 (age 66) Chandigarh, East Punjab, India
Height	183 cm (6 ft 0 in)
Spouse	Romi Dev (m. 1980)
Children	1
Nicknames	The Haryana Hurricane, Kaps
Military service
Allegiance	India
Branch/service	Indian Army
Years of service	2008–Present
Rank	Honorary Lieutenant Colonel
Awards	Padma Bhushan: 1991 Padma Shri: 1982
Cricket information Batting Right-handed Bowling Right arm fast-medium Role All-rounder International information National side India (1978–1994) Test debut (cap 141) 16 October 1978 v Pakistan Last Test 19 March 1994 v New Zealand ODI debut (cap 25) 1 October 1978 v Pakistan Last ODI 17 October 1994 v West Indies Domestic team information Years Team 1975–1992 Haryana 1981–1983 Northamptonshire 1984–1985 Worcestershire Head coaching information Years Team 1999–2000 India Career statistics Competition Test ODI FC LA Matches 131 225 275 309 Runs scored 5,248 3,783 11,356 5,461 Batting average 31.05 23.79 32.91 24.59 100s/50s 8/27 1/14 18/56 2/23 Top score 163 175* 193 175* Balls bowled 27,740 11,202 48,853 14,947 Wickets 434 253 835 335 Bowling average 29.64 27.45 27.09 27.34 5 wickets in innings 23 1 39 2 10 wickets in match 2 0 3 0 Best bowling 9/83 5/43 9/83 5/43 Catches/stumpings 64/– 71/– 192/– 99/– Medal record Men's Cricket Representing  India ICC Cricket World Cup Winner 1983 England and Wales ACC Asia Cup Winner 1988 Bangladesh Winner 1990–91 India Source: ESPNcricinfo, 24 January 2008

Kapil Dev Nikhanj (born January 6, 1959) is a famous Indian former cricket captain. He is known as one of the greatest all-rounders in cricket history. An all-rounder is a player who is good at both batting and bowling. Kapil Dev was a fast-medium bowler and a strong middle-order batsman. He is the only player in cricket history to have taken over 400 wickets (434 wickets) and scored over 5,000 runs in Test cricket.

Kapil Dev led the Indian cricket team to win the 1983 Cricket World Cup. This made India the first country to win the Cricket World Cup under an Indian captain. He was also the youngest captain (at 24 years old) to win the World Cup for any team. He retired in 1994. He was the first player to take 200 wickets in ODI matches. He also held the world record for the most wickets in Test cricket for a time. Kapil Dev was part of the Indian team that won the 1985 World Championship of Cricket.

After he stopped playing, he coached the Indian national team from September 1999 to September 2000.

Kapil Dev received the Padma Shri award in 1982 and the Padma Bhushan in 1991. These are high honors in India. In 2002, Wisden named him the Indian Cricketer of the Century. He was added to the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in 2010. In 2013, he received the C. K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award. This is the highest award given by the BCCI to a former player.

Early Life and Cricket Start

Kapil Dev Nikhanj was born in Chandigarh, India, on January 6, 1959. His family moved to Chandigarh after the partition. He studied at D. A. V. College.

Playing for Haryana

Kapil Dev started his cricket career with the Haryana cricket team in November 1975. In his first match against Punjab, he took 6 wickets and helped Haryana win. He had a great first season, taking 121 wickets in 30 matches.

In the 1976–77 season, he took 8 wickets for 36 runs against Jammu & Kashmir. Later, he took 8 wickets for just 20 runs against Bengal. Haryana reached the quarter-finals that year.

For the 1977–78 season, he took 8 wickets for 38 runs in his first innings against Services. He took 3 more wickets in the second innings, achieving his first 10-wicket haul in first-class cricket. This performance helped him get selected for bigger tournaments like the Irani Trophy and Duleep Trophy.

In the 1978–79 season, Kapil Dev showed his batting skills by scoring two half-centuries. He also took 5 wickets in a match against Bengal. He became well-known after taking 7 wickets for 65 runs in the Duleep Trophy finals. He played his first Test match for India against Pakistan in this season.

First Century and Ranji Trophy Win

In the 1979–80 season, Kapil Dev scored his first century, a career-best 193 runs, against Delhi. He captained Haryana for the first time in a match against Uttar Pradesh. He took five wickets in that game, helping his team reach the quarter-finals. As he became a regular player for the Indian national team, he played fewer domestic matches.

In the 1990–91 season, Kapil Dev led the Haryana cricket team to win the Ranji Trophy championship. In the semi-final against Bengal, he scored 141 runs and took 5 wickets. The final match against Bombay was very exciting. Many international players were in this game, including Sachin Tendulkar for Bombay. Haryana scored 522 runs in the first innings. Kapil Dev took 3 wickets. In the second innings, Haryana set Bombay a target of 355 runs. Bombay fought hard, but Haryana won by just 3 runs. This was Kapil Dev's first and only Ranji Trophy win.

Playing in England

Kapil Dev also played county cricket in England. He played for Northamptonshire from 1981 to 1983 and for Worcestershire in 1984 and 1985. In these years, he played 40 first-class matches. He scored 2,312 runs, including 4 centuries, and took 103 wickets.

International Cricket Career

A graph showing Kapil Dev's test career bowling statistics and how they have varied over time.

Early Years (1978–1982)

Kapil Dev made his Test cricket debut in Faisalabad, Pakistan, on October 16, 1978. He surprised the Pakistani batsmen with his fast bowling. He took his first wicket with his special outswinger delivery. He also showed his batting skills by scoring India's fastest Test half-century at the time.

In a series against West Indies, he scored his first Test century (126 runs) in Delhi. He also took 17 wickets in that series. In his first series outside India, against England, he took his first 5-wicket haul. He finished that series with 16 wickets.

Kapil Dev became India's main fast bowler in a home series against Australia. He took two 5-wicket hauls and ended the series with 28 wickets. He also scored 212 runs. He became very famous in the 1979–80 series against Pakistan. He helped India win two matches. In one match, he took 10 wickets and scored 84 runs. He considers this his best all-round performance. During this series, he became the youngest Test player to achieve the double of 100 wickets and 1000 runs.

Kapil Dev's career performance graph.

In India's tour of Australia in 1980–81, Kapil Dev played a key role in a famous win. India was defending a small score of 143 runs. Kapil Dev, despite a groin injury, played on the final day. He took 5 wickets for 28 runs, helping India win the match. This was one of his best bowling performances.

In the 1981–82 home series against England, he took a five-wicket haul and scored 318 runs. He was named the Man of the Series. He continued his great form in the next series against England in 1982, again winning Man of the Series.

After a difficult tour to Pakistan, where he was one of the few players who performed well, Kapil Dev was made the captain of the Indian cricket team. He replaced Sunil Gavaskar.

Leading India: 1983 World Cup Win

Kapil Dev became India's captain in 1982–83. His first big challenge was the 1983 Cricket World Cup. India had only won one match in the previous two World Cups.

India started the 1983 World Cup by beating the strong West Indies team. Then, they beat Zimbabwe. After losing two matches, India needed to win against Australia and Zimbabwe to reach the semi-finals.

On June 18, 1983, India played Zimbabwe. India was in big trouble, with many early wickets falling. Kapil Dev came to bat and played an amazing innings. He scored 175 runs not out from 138 balls, including 16 fours and 6 sixes. He built a record-breaking partnership of 126 runs for the 9th wicket with Syed Kirmani. This record stood for 27 years. India won the match by 31 runs. This innings is considered one of the greatest in ODI cricket.

Kapil Dev with the Indian President Zail Singh after the team's return to India post winning the World Cup. They are holding the Cricket World Cup Trophy.

In the semi-finals, India beat England. Then, India faced the West Indies cricket team in the finals. West Indies had won the previous two World Cups. India scored only 183 runs. West Indies started well, but then Kapil Dev took a spectacular catch running backward to dismiss the dangerous Viv Richards. This catch is often called the turning point of the 1983 World Cup Final. West Indies collapsed and were bowled out for 140 runs. India won their first World Cup! Kapil Dev led the team with 303 runs, 12 wickets, and 7 catches in 8 matches. This victory inspired many future cricketers in India.

After the World Cup

After the World Cup, India played against the West Indies cricket team at home. India lost both the Test and ODI series. Kapil Dev had a great bowling performance in one Test match, taking 9 wickets for 83 runs. However, his batting was not as good. Because of this, the selectors made Sunil Gavaskar captain again in early 1984.

Captain Again (1985–1987)

Kapil Dev became captain again in 1986. Under his leadership, India won a Test series against England in England in 1986. He was also captain during the famous second Tied Test against Australia, where he was named joint-man of the match.

He led India in the 1987 Cricket World Cup. In one match against Australia, Kapil Dev showed great sportsmanship. He agreed with the umpires that a boundary had been wrongly called a four instead of a six, adding two runs to Australia's score. India then lost the match by just one run. India reached the semi-finals but lost to England. Kapil Dev was blamed for India's loss in that match. He did not captain India again after that.

Kapil Dev's Cricket Skills

Kapil Dev was a fast bowler known for his smooth action and powerful outswinger. An outswinger is a ball that moves away from the right-handed batsman. He was India's main bowler for most of his career. He also developed a good inswinging yorker, which is a fast ball aimed at the base of the stumps.

As a batsman, he was naturally aggressive. He could hit the ball hard and often helped India in tough situations by attacking the opposing bowlers. He was nicknamed The Haryana Hurricane because he played for the Haryana cricket team.

Bowling Style and Later Career

Kapil Dev's natural bowling action made the outswinger easy for him. He aimed to make the ball move away from the batsman, trying to get them caught or bowled. Later in his career, he also developed an inswinger, which moves towards the batsman.

By the end of 1983, Kapil Dev had taken about 250 Test wickets in just five years. However, his bowling changed after knee surgery in 1984. Despite this, he never missed a single Test or ODI match due to injury. He remained an effective bowler for another ten years. In 1991–92, he became the second bowler ever to take 400 wickets in Test cricket. He took Mark Taylor's wicket in a series against Australia.

In the early 1990s, Kapil Dev continued to be India's main fast bowler. In a Test match at Lord's in 1990, he hit four sixes in a row off Eddie Hemmings to help India avoid a follow-on. Umpire Dickie Bird called Kapil Dev one of the greatest all-rounders of all time.

He became a valuable batsman in ODI matches, often hitting quick runs towards the end of an innings. He played in the 1992 Cricket World Cup, which was his last. He retired in 1994, after breaking Richard Hadlee's record for the most Test wickets.

Coaching Career

Kapil Dev became the coach of the Indian national cricket team in September 1999. The team did well in his first series at home against New Zealand. However, they lost badly in later Test series against Australia and South Africa.

Match-Fixing Allegations and Resignation

During his time as coach, there were claims of match-fixing in cricket. A former player, Manoj Prabhakar, accused Kapil Dev of trying to bribe him in 1994. Kapil Dev strongly denied these claims. He even cried during a TV interview while defending himself.

Under pressure from the public, Kapil Dev resigned as coach in September 2000. However, after a thorough investigation by the CBI (India's main investigating agency), Kapil Dev was cleared of all match-fixing charges in November 2000. The investigation found "no credible evidence" against him.

During Kapil Dev's time as coach, India won only 1 out of 8 Test matches and 9 out of 25 ODI matches.

Life After Cricket

After stepping away from cricket for a while, Kapil Dev returned to the public eye. In 2002, Wisden named him the Indian Cricketer of the Century. He said this was "my finest hour."

He later worked as a bowling consultant and coach. In 2006, he became the chairman of the National Cricket Academy.

In 2005, he had a small role in the movie Iqbal, where he played himself.

In May 2007, Kapil Dev joined the Indian Cricket League (ICL) as its chairman. The BCCI, India's main cricket board, did not support the ICL. Because of this, the BCCI stopped giving pensions to players who joined the ICL, including Kapil Dev. In 2012, Kapil Dev resigned from the ICL to support the BCCI again.

In 2019, he was appointed as the first chancellor of the Sports University of Haryana. This university is in his home state of Haryana.

Personal Life

Kapil Dev married Romi Bhatia in 1980. They have a daughter named Amiya Dev, born in 1996.

Kapil Dev started playing golf in 1993. He was one of the founding members of the Laureus Foundation in 2000, which is a global sports charity.

In October 2020, Kapil Dev had a heart attack and was hospitalized. He had a successful surgery and recovered well.

Books by Kapil Dev

Kapil Dev has written four books. Three of them are about his life:

• By God's Decree (1985)
• Cricket My Style (1987)
• Straight from the Heart (2004)

His latest book, We, The Sikhs, was released in 2019.

Records and Awards

Captaincy Records

Kapil Dev captained India in:

• 34 Test matches, winning 4, losing 7, tying 1, and drawing 22.
• 74 One Day Internationals, winning 39, losing 33, and having 2 no results.

Test Cricket Achievements

• In early 1994, he became the player with the most Test wickets in the world, breaking the record held by Sir Richard Hadlee. His record was later broken by Courtney Walsh in 1999.
• He is the only player to achieve the all-rounder's double of 5,000 Test runs and 400 Test wickets.

Awards and Honors

• 1979–80 – Arjuna Award
• 1982 – Padma Shri
• 1983 – Wisden Cricketer of the Year
• 1991 – Padma Bhushan
• 2002 – Wisden Indian Cricketer of the Century
• 2010 – ICC Cricket Hall of Fame
• 2013 – The 25 Greatest Global Living Legends in India by NDTV
• 2013 – CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement award
• 2019 – Bharat Gaurav Award

Film Appearances

Kapil Dev has appeared as himself in several films:

• Dillagi... Yeh Dillagi (1994)
• C.I.D. (Season 1) Episode- Howzzat? (Episode 289,290)
• Mujhse Shaadi Karogi (2004)
• Iqbal (2005)
• Chain Kulii Ki Main Kulii (2007)
• 83 (2021) – He had a cameo role in this film about the 1983 World Cup.
• Double XL (2022)
• Lal Salaam (2024)