Remember the names Kapil and his Devils

Watching 83 Premier was turning the clock 38 years back when I was eleven years old and had seen the finals live on Door Darshan at a neighbor's house and felt immediately connected and had tears in my eyes as felt history was created today right in front of me.

I am not writing the review of the movie but what is shown in 83 is that can never be forgotten. 25th June 1983 was one of those days which brought a revolution of Cricket in India and it is one sport which no matter where India plays it's followed with so much of passion by every Indian across the world. Before the 1983 World cup, India had played two World cups one in 1975 and other in 1979 and India had just managed one that too against East Africa. No one had given this Indian team a chance to reach the Semifinals but this Kapil Dev’s Devils managed to achieve the impossible. It all started when India in the first match against West Indies stunned the two times Champions who were invincible and not lost a single game in both the earlier world cups. India's hero in that first match was the late Yashpal Sharma who sadly passed away this year. Yashpal Sharma had scored 89 crucial runs which paved for India’s win.

India then beat Zimbabwe in their second game by five wickets but yet no one still believed India would go the distance and when India lost two back to back matches against Australia and West Indies quite easily, it seemed all over till the game against Zimbabwe turned it around. It was a must win game and India were 9/4 at one stage when Kapil Dev walked in and then were 17/5 and everyone felt India would

get bowled out for 100 that's when Kapil dev took the attack to the opposition and scored one of the finest knock in ODI Cricket by making an unbeatable 175 of 138 balls taking India to a match winning 266 which they defended easily. That innings bought a belief in the Indian dressing room as the captain had led from the front and India demolished Australia by 118 runs in their last league game to make it to the Semifinals. India were playing the host England who were the runners up in the 1979 world cup but India won the Semifinals with ease to march in to the finals against the rampaging West Indies.

What I remember as eleven-year-old was all the league games there was no live telecast but the Semifinals and finals were shown live on Doordarshan and all eyes of One Billion Indian people was on the finals. India who were put in to bat on a green pitch at Lord's managed just 183 on the back of Kris Srikkanth’s attacking knock of 38 and some support from tail enders. And when Sir Vivian Richards came on to bat, he hammered 33 of 28 balls, it seemed curtains for team India. Then came the turning point

when Viv Richards pulled Madan Lal and Kapil Dev ran from square leg to mid-wicket to pull of an outstanding catch and there was not stopping team India as they won the historic finals at Lord's against the West Indies Giants by 43 runs. Once again it was Mohinder Amarnath who was the man of the match like the semifinals for his three wickets for just 12 runs.

I would recommend all the youngsters to see this movie 83 as it will give you goosebumps as when you watch the movie you won't feel you are watching Ranveer Singh and the other stars, you will directly connect with the players as the roles of each player has been played to perfection. In India Cricket and Movies are like religion and when it's not fictional but real you would not like to miss it for anything. Just go for it and it will be a complete Paisa and Time Vasool.