Former India captain and one of country's greatest all-rounders Kapil Dev was inducted in the Legends Club 'Hall of Fame', started by the late Raj Singh Dungarpur in 2003
The CK Nayudu Hall of the iconic Cricket Club of India was glittering on the pleasant Tuesday evening. And why not, the yesteryear stars of Indian cricket had descended on the nerve centre of the game in the country.
Former India captain and one of country's greatest all-rounders Kapil Dev was inducted in the Legends Club 'Hall of Fame', started by the late Raj Singh Dungarpur in 2003. He shared the dais with three another skippers, the legendary Sunil Gavaskar, Ajit Wadekar, Nari Contractor along with former Test cricketer Madhav Apte.
The atmosphere was nostalgic and humorous as Kapil Dev, who led India to their first World Cup triump in 1983, recollected the past from the beginning of his cricket career to the changes that the game has seen today.
"I am humbled. We always look up to Mumbai as it was where the cricket was played. I come from small town, did know nothing about cricket. It was just the passion. Trying to impress Bombay people, players and media. That is not just with me but with all cricketers," he told the audience.
"My wife is from Bombay. Things have changed suddenly since when I started. When I was about to get married, Romie's grandfather asked her: 'Ladka kya karta hai? Cricket khelta hai theek hai, par karta kya hai' (What does the boy do? Yeah fine he plays cricket, but what does he do?). It was different in that time," Kapil Dev said as the crowd burst into laughter.
He thanked Mumbai to have kept the game alive. "It is thanks to Mumbai cricket and the people who kept the game alive, had you not played seriously I don't think it would have reach this far."
The Haryana Hurricane was all praise of his skipper Gavaskar. "Sunil was grammar of cricket, without grammar, I played little bit of cricket. For Sunil, I can only say, he was not best in the game, but best for the game. Greatest cricketer, for the game he was. There is nobody in this country who does not want to be Sunil Gavaskar. Lot of people will come and go, but this name (Sunil) will remain on the top."
Kapil Dev said because he could not speak English fluently, there were a few occasions when he had to avoid the media.
"My first interview with the media was for an English daily. The Mumbai media still understands Hindi, but that reporter was from Madras. I was shy or I did not have the confidence off the field, I asked him if I can come back (pointing his small finger for pee). Then I told my friend who played with me if I can take him for a movie. I told him the reporter was from Madras and was talking in English," he said.
Kapil Dev talked about how the game has changed from when they used to get daily allowance of seven pounds on the tour of England.
"We had passion for the game and were not looking for rewards and awards or anything. At that time, we had so much of passion. With our success, if people got happiness, we would feel proud. Now I feel, cricket has changed (and) it feels so nice," he added.
Meanwhile, Gavaskar said: "It was honour for me to play with Kapil Dev. Nobody who has turned the match with both bat and ball as Kapil has done."
He, however, once again clarified it wasn't his decision as captain to drop Kapil Dev from the fourth Test against England at the Eden Gardens in December 1984.
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