1983 World cup-winning legendary batsman Sunil Gavaskar feels Kapil Dev is the greatest Indian cricketer of all time. The Indian team has seen a many a legends been made for the country making the best of records, but the 1983 world cup feat which then Team India captain Kapil Dev achieved will remain unmatched.
Sunil Gavaskar who was an important part of the 1983 World cup winning Indian team was asked who he feels is the best Indian cricketer of all time. He replied Kapil Dev without any hesitation. All-rounder scored a stellar knock of 175 runs to single-handedly carrying the team to win in the finals of the 1983 World cup.
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All-time No.1 will always be Kapil Dev: Sunil Gavaskar
Kapil Dev and Sunil Gavaskar played for team India together 10 years between 1978 and 1987 and won India many matches. When asked, who is the best cricketer of all time Gavaskar stated it was Kapil Dev, the reason being he was so good with both ball and bat and always proved to be a match-winner.
“Top of everything would be Kapil Dev, he would be No.1. For me, he is the best. All-time No.1 will always be Kapil Dev. He could win the match with the bat and with the ball. He would take the wickets and win the match for you.
“He would score a scorching hundred or quickfire 80-90 and turn the game around. He made an impact with the bat. He made an impact with the ball. Don’t forget all those catches that he took. So he was a complete cricketer,” Gavaskar told India Today.
Sunil Gavaskar, Photo Credit: Getty Images.
Sunil Gavaskar said MS Dhoni is very similar to Kapil Dev
The little master feels MS Dhoni is very similar to Kapil Dev with his approach to the game. Their calm demeanours helped the players to perform at their best without any added pressure.
“Both (Dhoni and Kapil) were very, very similar. Both had similar approaches to the game. They loved playing the game. Both of them loved being in the center of action and they wanted to achieve great things for their teams. In that way, both are very similar,” Gavaskar said.
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“If a captain is a little more irritable at a catch being dropped or a misfield, then the players get even more nervous. And that’s where Kapil Dev and MS Dhoni scored. They just controlled their emotions so well, that the players did not feel affected at all and played their own game freely,” he added.
Kapil Dev retired from cricket in 1994 after playing 131 Tests and 225 ODIs for India. Kapil scored 5248 and 3783 runs in Tests and ODI respectively and picked up 434 and 253 wickets.
