Cricket has given many legends to India, and some of those names echoes across the billions of cricket fans in India. One such name that comes to mind is Kapil Dev. The fierce all-rounder who changed the fate of Indian cricket and engraved his name in the book of Indian cricketing legends.
People mostly know Kapil Dev for the 1983 World Cup win, which changed the course of cricket in India, but there is so much more to Kapil Dev’s life than the epic win. Kapil Dev’s early life is something which every fan should delve into as it is inspiring, remarkable, and inundated with challenges.
This is why, in this blog post, we will dig into the early life of Kapil Dev and understand how the Haryana Hurrican rose from a humble beginning and became a cricketing legend.
Kapil Dev Wife, Family, Birth, Awards, and Age
| Name | Kapil Dev Nikhanj |
| Nick Name | Haryana Hurricane |
| Date of Birth | 6 January 1959 |
| Father’s Name | Ram Lal Nikhanj |
| Mother’s Name | Raj Kumari Lajwanti |
| Number of Siblings | 3 (1 sister and two brothers) |
| Wife | Romi Bhatia |
| Spouse | Amiya Dev |
| Awards | Padma Shri (1982)Wisden Cricketer of the Year (1983)Padma Bhushan (1991)Wisden Indian Cricketer of the Century (2002)ICC Cricket Hall of Fame (2010)C.K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award (2013) |
Kapil Dev Early Life
The cricketing legend, Kapil Dev, was born into a merchant’s family in Pakistan in 1959. His father, Ram Laj Nikhanj, worked as a teak merchant, and his mother was a homemaker. Kapil Dev has one elder sister, Pinky Gill, and two elder brothers, Bhushan Nikhanj and Ramesh Nikhanj. After the partition, the family moved to Chandigarh.
Kapil Dev had a relatively modest background, and although he was not poverty-stricken, he had to deal with various financial constraints to build a career in cricket. Kapil Dev’s father wanted him to focus on his studies, but it was his mother’s unconditional support that kept him in the game.
Raj Kumari Lajwanti (Kapili Dev’s mother) always believed that his son would one day play for the Indian cricket team, and she supported her son with the right diet and a continuous reminder to give his best on the field.
On many instances, Kapil Dev has talked about his mother’s support and how she became his inspiration. He has admitted that she was his strength behind his success and everything he has achieved in his life.
Kapil Dev Debut
Kapil Dev made his domestic debut in November 1975 as an all-rounder of the Haryana state team. He went on to take 121 wickets in a single season. He soon came under the radar of selectors with his fast bowling action and fierce batting style that caught the attention of the Indian selectors
And after just 3 years of domestic cricket, Kapil Dev was playing for the Indian team. Kapil Dev made his ODI debut on 1st October 1978 and his test debut on 16th October 1978. Both matches were a part of India’s tour of Pakistan.
The Pakistan series didn’t went well for India and even Kapil Dev didn’t get the dream debut he thought of. India lost both the ODI series and the test series, and Kapil Dev took only 11 wickets and 177 runs in 3 ODIs and 3 test matches.
Here are Kapil Dev’s debut series stats
| Match | Runs | Wickets |
| 1st ODI | 13 | 1 |
| 2nd ODI | 5 | 1 |
| 3rd ODI | Didn’t bat | 2 |
| 1st Test | 8 | 1 |
| 2nd Test | 58 | 2 |
| 3rd Test | 93 | 4 |
1979 Cricket World Cup
Just within 1 year of his international debut, Kapil Dev was playing the 1979 World Cup with the Indian cricket team. But the big stage didn’t give Kapil Dev and India even a single moment of glory. India went on to lose all three matches and Kapil Dev returned back with average performance.
But nobody was surprised or in shock in India as at that time, the Indian cricket team was not known for winning matches or tournaments. Losing tournaments, matches, players not performing well was something Indian fans were used to.
This was a big setback for Kapil Dev early life, especially on a personal level. But little did people knew that the new all-rounder first rise and shine as cricket and then lead the entire Indian cricket team to the chariot of victory.
Series of Success and Road to Captaincy
Even after the failure in the World Cup and a poor performance, Kapil Dev didn’t give up, and that’s what made him a cricketing legend. He unleashed his locked potential and went on conquering one series after another with his brilliant performance as an all-rounder.
Australia tour of India (1979)
Just after the 1979 World Cup, Australia came to India for a 6 match test series. Kapil Dev went on to take 28 wickets and scored 212 runs. This test series made Kapil Dev the most trusted all-rounder of the Indian team. But the Haryana Hurricane was just getting started.
Pakistan tour of India (1979-80)
After crushing Australia, India was ready to give it back to Pakistan, which came for a 6 match test series. Kapil Dev was also geared up to hammer the Pakistani team, which blurred his dream of a great debut.
In those 6 matches, Kapil Dev took a 10-wicket haul and also helped India win the test in Mumbai by scoring a crucial 69 runs. The Pakistan tour of India took Kapil Dev’s stardom to the next level, and he became the youngest all-rounder of India to score 1000 runs and take 100 wickets in 25 matches.
From 1979 to 1981, Kapil Dev went on to give spectacular performances, and in those dazzling three years accentuated with records, wins, and greatness, he became the most trusted all-rounder.
The Captain’s Throne
But the selectors of the Indian cricket team saw something more in Kapil Dev than his all-round performance; leadership qualities and a sense of calmness. During India’s tour of Sri Lanka, he led the team on a couple of occasions when Sunil Gavaskar was rested.
Soon, the selectors chose him as the successor of Sunil Gavaskar, and he became the Indian captain. Becoming the captain of the Indian cricket team was another big achievement of Kapil Dev early life.
The tour of the West Indies was Kapil Dev’s first big assignment as a captain, and although India lost the series but the lone ODI victory in that series lit a different kind of hope in the Indian side which was never seen before.
The 1983 World Cup not only changed Kapil Dev’s fate, but it also changed the course of Indian cricket. The World Cup victory established India as a leader in the cricketing realm.
1983 World Cup
It was in 1983 that the world came to know; there is a team called India that defeated the legendary West Indies team under the captaincy of the great Kapil Dev. The 1983 World Cup win acted as a springboard for all three: BCCI, cricket as a career, and the fanbase in India.
Many moments of the World Cup 1983 live in our hearts rent-free. Whether it was the record of 126 runs while playing at the 9th wicket, or the 20 yards of run of ecstasy after taking Viv Richards’ catch in the final, Kapil Dev created eternal memories for every Indian cricket fan that are still cherished and rejoiced.
Throughout his career, Kapil Dev went on to give spectacular performances and built mountains of records. Also, he set a benchmark as an all-rounder in the Indian cricket team, and many still aspire to come even a little close to him.
Remember the Records
Although the list of Kapil Dev’s records during his illustrious career is long, here are some of his records that still stand tall and unbroken:
- He is the youngest cricketer to lead a team in the World Cup. He was just 24 years old in 1983 when he led the Indian cricket team in the World Cup as a captain.
- He is the only batsman who has never got runout in his whole test career.
- Only cricketer to take 400 wickets and score 4000 runs in test cricket.
- The best bowling figure as a captain in test match (9-83).
Many players set records, win matches for their country, but only a handful of players change the course of history. Kapil Dev belonged to that elite and rare breed of cricketers who have the vigor to bring India to the international stage of cricketing teams that are respected, feared, and promoted.
Whether it was Kapil Dev’s early life, his mother’s support, or his attitude to never give up, Kapil Dev always knew what he had to do. Also his ability to take risks without losing calmness made him unique.
Kapil Dev was a rare breed of Indian cricket who became the fastest bowler in the world when India was known for spinners, and who batted like there was no tomorrow when batsmen were known for their defense. And above all, even after all the fame, record, money, and limelight, Kapil Dev remained the humble boy from a humble family background that used to live in Chandigarh.
Image credit: “Kapil Dev – Dnyaneshwar Agashe” via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
