Kapil in awe of how far Indian cricket has come

Kapil Dev’s frame might not strike a sense of awe anymore: he has a slight hunch to him and is slower with his movements than he was only a few years ago. 

That fire in his eyes, though. That doesn’t seem to have left him as yet, least of all when the conversation of Indian cricket and its abundance of talent comes up. 

The 64-year-old, who was in the city to feature in Vishwa Samudra Golden Eagles' annual golf championship, was in awe of what India have become since winning the 1983 World Cup under his captaincy. 

“I'm stunned to see us here,” said Kapil. “I can't believe that victory in 1983 did this for us, but more than that, we must credit the systems which have come into place to make cricket this big. We're producing so much talent now. It’s amazing. 

“Did you ever imagine that the world would be talking about Indian fast bowlers as the best in the world? I never did. Frankly, I don’t think I played too much of a part, I would credit the system entirely for this transition.”

So much so that Kapil insinuated that this current team could well be among the best India has ever seen. Of course, he introduced a couple of caveats to play it safe, but his intention was decipherable enough. 

“I don’t like comparing teams and eras, and I’m not the type to say that a team is only good when it wins. I know how difficult it is to win a World Cup, also how can we downplay a team which won ten World Cup games on a trot,” he asked without asking. 

Kapil, obviously, was referring to India’s recent run in the World Cup where they won all their league games, and a semifinal before losing to Australia in the final. 

“They are an amazing team. I have seen great teams and this team is right up there when it comes to all-round class. They have excellent batters and some of the best bowlers India has ever had so…” he trailed off before gingerly redirecting the conversation towards golf. 

He spoke at length about how the sport allows him to continue his love for competition without exerting his body. Also, he surprisingly admitted, that cricket didn’t allow him to make as many friends as golf has over the years. 

“… mostly, I stopped wanting to even try cricket because imagine me facing someone like (Jasprit) Bumrah now. I don’t think I want to face him. He’s lethal, that boy,” he said before tapping on Brian Lara’s shoulder to get his take. 

“Hmmm, I don’t know, maybe not at this age, maybe not, but it may have been fun some years ago,” said Lara.

That’s a visual worth chewing on.