Kapil Dev is a former Indian cricketer. He has also served as the national coach of India from 1999 to 2000. He captained India during the 1983 World Cup and won the trophy for the first time.
In 2002, he was named as the Indian Cricketer of the Century by Wisden. He is regarded as one of the best all-rounders to have played the game. In 2010, he was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.
- Name – Kapil Dev
- Full Name – Kapil Dev Ramlal Nikhanj
- Nickname – Haryana Hurricane , KD
- Date of Birth – 6 January 1959
- Age (Age) – 62 years (in the year 2021)
- Birth place – Chandigarh, India
- Hometown – Chandigarh, India
- Education – Not Known
- School – DAV Senior Secondary School, Sector 8-C, Chandigarh
- Caste – Jat
- Zodiac sign – Capricorn
- Hobbies – Playing Golf, Table Tennis and Squash, Watching Movies
- Height – 6 feet
- Weight – 80 kg
- Eye Colour – Dark Brown
- Hair Color – White and Black
- Profession – Cricketer, Businessman
- International Debut – ODI – 1 October 1978 against Pakistan in Quetta
- Test – 16-21 October 1978 against Pakistan at Faisalabad
- International retirement – ODI – 17 October 1994 against West Indies at Faridabad
- Test – 19-23 March 1994 against New Zealand at Hamilton
- Jersey Number – In their time there were no numbers on the jersey
- Home Team (Domestic/State Team)- • Haryana
- • Northamptonshire
- • Worcestershire
- Coach (Coach/Mentor) – Desh Prem Azad
- Batting Style – Right Hand Batsman
- Bowling Style – Right-arm fast-medium bowler
- Favorite Shot – Hook and Drive
- Favorite Ball – Out-swing and In-swing yorker
- Marital Status – Married
- Marriage Date – Year 1980
- Net Worth – Rs 220 crore
Kapil Dev Early Life
Kapil Dev Nikhanj was born on 6 January 1959 in Chandigarh, India. His father, Ram Lal Nikhanj was from Dipalpur, Pakistan and his mother, Raj Kumari was born in Pakpattan, Pakistan.
Four of his sisters were also born in Pakistan. His family immigrated to India at the time of the partition of India and settled in Fazilka, Punjab.
After settling in India, he and his two brothers (Ramesh and Bhushan) were born. His father was a famous timber merchant. Later, his family moved to Chandigarh and Dev got his education from DAV School and joined cricketer Desh Prem Azad to get cricket classes.
Kapil Dev did his schooling from DAV School in Chandigarh and it was from here that his interest in cricket was born. Interestingly, Kapil Dev did not play his first cricket match till the age of 13. In the year 1971, he joined Desh Prem Azad to understand cricket.
She married Romi Bhatia, an entrepreneur, in 1980 and the couple has a daughter, Amiya Dev (born in 1996).
Kapil Dev Family
Father’s Name – Ram Lal Nikhanj
Mother’s Name – Raj Kumari Lajwanti
Sister’s Name – Pinky Gill and 3 sisters
Brother’s Name – Ramesh (Younger Brother), Bhushan (Older Brother)
Wife’s Name – Romi Bhatia (Business Woman)
Children’s Name (Children’s Name) Amiya Devi (Girl)
Kapil Dev’s cricket career
In November 1974, two months after his 17th birthday, Kapil Dev made his first-class debut playing for his home state Haryana against Punjab; Where he took 6 wickets for just 39 runs and restricted Punjab to just 63 runs.
However, in the same year, his father passed away who left this world without seeing his son win the cricket world.
On 16 October 1978, he made his international Test cricket debut, playing against Pakistan in Faisalabad.
Though his performance was not impressive, he stunned the Pakistani batsman with his pace and bouncers.
In the third Test match of the same tour, he scored the fastest Test fifty off just 33 balls. On 1 October 1978, Dev made his ODI debut against Pakistan, however, his ODI performance in the early years was not very good. In January 1979, Dev scored his maiden Test century of 126 runs in just 124 balls against the West Indies in Delhi.
He established himself as India’s first fast bowler to take 5 wickets twice and finished a home series against Australia with 28 wickets.
When Pakistan toured India in 1979, he became famous with his performance. He helped India win two Test matches; He scored 69 at Wankhede Mumbai and in the fifth Test, he took his first 10 wickets. During the same series, Dev became the youngest cricketer to take 100 Test wickets and 1000 runs in 25 matches.
During the 1980s, Kapil Dev, Ian Botham, Imran Khan and Sir Richard Hadlee competed to be the best all-rounder in the world.
Four great all-rounders- Imran Khan, Kapil Dev, Ian Botham and Richard Hadlee
Four great all-rounders- Imran Khan, Kapil Dev, Ian Botham and Richard Hadlee
Kapil Dev’s first Ranji captain, Dr. Ravinder Chadha once narrated an incident – in 1981 or 1982 Haryana vs Punjab match when Rajinder Ghai dismissed Kapil Dev but the umpire rejected the appeal and Dev scored 193 runs. . At the end of the day, Ghai asked the umpire why he had officiated. The umpire replied,
“Everyone has come to see Kapil, not you”
He was never run out in his long career spanning 184 innings.
After retirement, Kapil Dev stepped into the business world. Apart from owning two restaurants- “Captains Retreat” in Chandigarh and Patna, he has several other business ventures.
In addition to playing cricket for India and the Haryana state team, he also played county cricket for Northamptonshire and Worcestershire in England.
Kapil Dev was also good at playing football. In the 1980s, he played a football match with Shah Rukh Khan, who was then the captain of his college football team.
During the 1983 Cricket World Cup final, Kapil caught Sir Viv Richards at mid-wicket which was a turning point of the match.
In the eighties, he also became a hot choice in the world of TV commercials. His Palmolive shaving cream ad became so popular that his one-liner, “Palmolive Da Jawab Nahi”, earned him a household name.
Around 1985, he launched a syndicated agency ‘Dev Features’, however, he did not find success in the business and after initial failures in the business, Kapil said, “I set up my own office (in the Bengali Market area of central Delhi). ) Bought. After working from home. The business grew and I decided to do something else.”
In his entire career, he did not miss a single Test match on grounds of injury and fitness.
After retirement in 1994, he took up golf and was the only Asian founding member of the Laureus Foundation.
Later, his company Dev Musco provided floodlights at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium in Mohali and also provided floodlights in football, hockey and golf.
In 2008, he was honored as a Lieutenant Colonel by the Indian Territorial Army.
In May 2017, he unveiled his wax statue at Madame Tussauds Museum, New Delhi, India
He appeared in cameo roles in several Bollywood films, including “Dillagi… Yeh Dillagi”, “Iqbal,” “Chen Khuli Ki Main Khuli,” and “Mujhse Shaadi Karogi”.
Dev has written 3 autobiographies: “By God’s Decree” (1985), “Cricket My Style” (1987), and “Straight from the Heart” (2004).
Kapil Dev with the book Straight from the Heart
With the book Straight from the Heart
He has a good friendship with the cricketer turned politician Imran Khan of Pakistan. When Imran Khan became the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Kapil Dev was invited for the swearing-in ceremony, but he declined the invitation.
