Kapil Dev is considered as one of the greatest Indian cricketers for he changed the landscape of the sport in the country following their triumph in the 1983 World Cup against the West Indies. Kapil Dev is also one of the greatest allrounders ever, managing to score over 5000 Test runs and taking 434 wickets. During the period of the 80s to the mid-90s, Kapil Dev’s tally of 434 Test wickets was the highest by any bowler. This tally still remains the highest by any Indian pacer. However, outside of the cricket field, Kapil Dev was a star. He was a very good golf player but he has also played a cameo in a couple of Bollywood movies. He was one of the selectors who shortlist players in the film Iqbal starring Shreyas Talpade and Naseeruddin Shah. In 2007, in the film Mujhse Shaadi Karoge, in the climax which features the main characters in a cricket stadium, Kapil Dev is one of the commentators.
However, did you know that Kapil Dev was also one of the main characters in the TV show CID in the early 2000s? In a two-part episode titled ‘Howzzat’, a popular cricket term shortened from the appeal ‘How is that?’, the serial features Kapil Dev being caught for carrying a gun in his bag while departing to Mumbai at the airport. The CID team, led by ACP Pradhyuman (Shivaji Satam) discovers that someone has been murdered with the weapon and Kapil Dev is in custody. The show also features a special cameo appearance by noted TV star Karanvir Bohra.In that two-part episode, Kapil Dev plays a key role in unmasking who framed him and he helps the CID team, which also features Dayanand Shetty and Aditya Srivastava in cracking the case. In the end, the episode ends with Kapil Dev giving an autograph on a special bat presented by the CID team.
The fan following of Kapil Dev is evident even in the episode when the forensics doctor is unable to conduct the investigation. In the dialogue, she says, “I do not want a big personality like Kapil Dev to be trapped just because of one potential mistake of mine. I cannot do it. The mere fact that a legend as big as Kapil Dev’s life could be ruined because of my investigation, I cannot do it. I am a big fan of Kapil Dev since childhood. KAPIL DEV IS KAPIL DEV.”
You can watch both the episodes here. Part 1 is here.
Part 2 can be watched here
Kapil Dev has achieved plenty of accolades for India in his stellar playing career from 1978 to 1994. He once held the best figures for an Indian bowler when he took 9/83 against the West Indies in Ahmedabad in 1983. Kapil Dev, along with Sir Ian Botham, Sir Richard Hadlee and Imran Khan of Pakistan was considered the premier all-rounders in the world of cricket during the time of the 80s. He is one of the few elite players to have scored 5000 runs and taken over 400 wickets. His most memorable instance with the bat in Tests was when he smashed four consecutive sixes off Eddie Hemmings in the 1990 Lord's Test to avoid the follow-on. During the 1992 Test in South Africa in Port Elizabeth, Kapil Dev smashed a magnificent 129 batting lower down the order.
In the domestic circuit, Kapil Dev is credited to helping Haryana win their first and only major Ranji Trophy title when his side defeated Bombay in the 1991 Ranji Trophy final by two runs. The Bombay side had greats like Sanjay Manjrekar, Vinod Kambli, Sachin Tendulkar, Dilip Vengsarkar, Chandrakant Pandit and future India cricket team bowler Abey Kuruvilla.
As a player, Kapil Dev achieved everything that is possible with bat and ball. He had helped Indian cricket achieve a level of glory during his captaincy period. He had helped India win the 1983 World Cup, secured a historic series win in England in 1986. As the team entered into the 90s, Kapil Dev was still pivotal to the side but his returns dwindled. He carried on until he had not broken the mark of 431 set by Sir Richard Hadlee of New Zealand when it came to the highest number of Test wickets by a bowler. He broke the record during the 1994 Ahmedabad Test against Sri Lanka when he dismissed Hashan Tillakaratne and the celebrations were a testament to his longevity and his genius.