Relive the legend that is Kapil Dev on his birthday

Kapil Dev is arguably one of the most legendary Indian cricketers in history. Famed and feared for both his bowling and batting prowess, Kapil made his mark in Indian cricket fairly quickly and even went on to net India's first World Cup in 1983.

In the event of this otherworldly cricketer's birthday, here are a few of his most well-known performances since his debut.

Debut: 1st Test over in India vs Pakistan match - 1978-79

Kapil Dev made his debut in the India vs Pakistan match in 1978-79 which started in Quetta. Unfortunately, India did not win the series, with just one match win and one draw.

India vs Pakistan: Kapil Dev shows off his bowling might

The era of Imran Khan, one of the most prolific fast bowlers in the game, is well-known to both fans of the yesteryear of cricket and the modern-day fans. But even then, Kapil Dev, already far beyond the new kid who debuted in '78, would not stop himself from performing his best against his opponents.

In one swift stroke, he destroyed the middle stump in a ball, taking Imran Khan out of the game.

1991 India vs Australia Test

The late 20th Century was a goldmine for cricket lovers the world over. Countless powerful players were pitted against each other and it resulted in everyone polishing everyone else like a diamond.

It is in this era, that in a certain match between India and Australia, which was part of a bigger test series, that Kapil Dev showed off his bowling prowess yet again, denying Australia with 3 unplayable deliveries in a row, 2 of which were wickets and one of which was a duck.

1990 India vs England - Saving the team with the last wicket

Ask anyone who plays professional sports and they'll tell you the kind of pressure one feels when they're the last person on the team and are inches from victory. It is not something one can feel every day, and rising to the challenge is often beyond the reach of most people.

However, Kapil Dev did rise to the challenge. When India was literally on its last legs in the 1990 India vs England Test in Lords, with 24 runs to win and him on the last wicket, Kapil Dev rose spectacularly to the challenge and hit 4 consecutive sixers, winning India the match.

The match was not well-known just for that performance. Kapil Dev's delivery earned him the record of the most consecutive sixers in Test history, a feat only matched by Shahid Afridi years later, never beaten. The series was also the entry point of Anil Kumble in International cricket and Sachin Tendulkar hitting his first century at the young age of 17.

1983 India vs West Indies - The Holy Grail

1983 was a historical, watershed moment for the Indian team, for they had finally acquired that which any cricket team of the world craves: The World Cup. In a heated match against West Indies in Lords, England, India demolished its opponent by 43 runs, picking up the coveted golden trophy, a feat which remained unrepeated until 2011. The match also broke West Indies' consecutive winning streak, stopping them at 2 World Cup wins.

Bonus: Compilation of Kapil Dev's 17 most popular wickets

(compiled by Varun HK)