On This Day In 1983: Kapil Dev Smashed 175 Against Zimbabwe In World Cup
On this day in 1983: Kapil Dev's legendary 175 against Zimbabwe in the Prudential World Cup changed India's fortunes, leading them to win the World Cup.
On This Day In 1983: The legendary Kapil Dev lit up the 1983 Prudential World Cup in England with a game-transforming knock of 175 against Zimbabwe on this day. The ultimate trailblazer played an innings widely regarded as the finest and most impactful hundred in the history of ODI cricket.
Kapil's innings revived India's fortunes in the tournament before the captain famously lifted the World Cup at the Lord's balcony to trigger a nonstop wave that changed Indian cricket's landscape.
Kapil etched Kent's Tunbridge Wells in the history books with a century for the ages after a disastrous batting collapse from India. It's said that the skipper was in the shower when a teammate knocked on his door after India were reduced to just 9-4 in a must-win Group B encounter versus the Zimbabweans.
Despite his team staring at a defeat, Kapil approached the situation in trademark fashion and hammered the inexperienced Zimbabwe attack for what was then the fastest ODI century and the record-highest World Cup score.
The ball flew over the roof at the Nevill Ground with the tenacious right-hander hitting 16 fours and 6 sixes. In an era where batting in One-Day Internationals was about survival for 60 overs, especially in challenging English conditions, Kapil emerged at his brave and destructive best, finishing unbeaten with a strike rate of 126.81.
The next highest score to Kapil's 175* off 138 deliveries was 24 from wicketkeeper-batter Syed Kirmani.
The one-man show from the aggressive and inspiring Indian cricketer took his team's score to 266/8 which they later defended by 31 runs and kept their World Cup hopes alive.
Having suffered two consecutive defeats, India needed to beat Zimbabwe to stay in contention for the semifinals. Kapil's heroics did exactly that with the captain leading from the front before going on to beat Australia in the final group-stage encounter.
India then surpassed hosts England in the semifinal and defeated the mighty West Indies in the final at Lord's in one of the game's pathbreaking triumphs that only heightened the value of Kapil's courageous display.
Unfortunately, there is no footage available for the glorious innings. While some believe English broadcasters BBC were on strike for the contest, few count that as a myth alluding to the West Indies versus Australia game televised on the same day.
First Published:
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
33 minutes ago
- Time of India
Gold! India's pride Neeraj Chopra claims top spot at inaugural NC Classic with 86.18m throw
Neeraj Chopra (PTI Photo) On a landmark evening for Indian athletics, two-time Olympic medallist and World Champion Neeraj Chopra on Saturday delivered a resounding performance to clinch gold at the inaugural Neeraj Chopra Classic 2025 in Bengaluru with a stunning throw of 86.18m. Competing on Indian soil for the first time in years, Neeraj thrilled a packed Sree Kanteerava Stadium, overcoming a foul in his opening round to produce the night's best in his third attempt. Watch: The event brought together a world-class field of 12 elite javelin throwers from across the globe, including 2016 Olympic gold medallist Thomas Röhler (Germany), 2015 World Champion Julius Yego (Kenya), South American record-holder Luiz Mauricio da Silva (Brazil), and Pan Am Games winner Curtis Thompson (USA). Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! Despite the fierce competition, Neeraj's consistency and confidence proved unmatched, following up his winning throw with solid efforts of 84.07m and 82.22m. Julius Yego secured silver with an 84.51m throw, while Sri Lanka's Rumesh Pathirage impressed with 84.34m for bronze. India's Sachin Yadav also made a late push with an 82.23m final effort but couldn't break into the top three. The NC Classic 2025 wasn't just a competition—it was a celebration. Neeraj, serving as both star and organiser, led a field that included rising Indian talents like Sachin Yadav, Yashvir Singh, Sahil Silwal, and Rohit Yadav. Fans witnessed not just big throws but also the dawning of a new chapter for Indian athletics, as Bengaluru hosted its first World Athletics Gold-level javelin event. As the anthem played and the crowd erupted, Neeraj Chopra not only defended his global supremacy but also lit the path for India's next generation of champions. For real-time updates, scores, and highlights, follow our live coverage of the India vs England Test match here. Game On Season 1 continues with Mirabai Chanu's inspiring story. Watch Episode 2 here.
The Hindu
36 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Ind vs Eng: Gill gets another hundred as India extend lead to 484 runs
Shubman Gill turned himself into a virtual 'Run Machine', smashing his third hundred in four innings to extend India's lead to a healthy 484 runs at tea on day four of the second Test against England in Birmingham on Saturday (July 5, 2025). Gill changed gears post the lunch break to push the scoring rate before completing his second hundred of the game at the stroke of tea. India added 127 runs from 30 overs in the session. He brought the rare milestone with a single off Bashir in the penultimate over before the tea break as India reached 304 for four in the second innings. Following his double in the first innings, the hundred celebrations were not over the top, signaling his focus on levelling the series. In the process, he also also surpassed the great Sunil Gavaskar to tally the most runs by an Indian in a Test match. Gavaskar had amassed 344 runs in one of the Tests against West Indies back in 1971 at Port of Spain. Gill shared a 110-run stand with Rishabh Pant (65 off 58) who exhibited breathtaking strokeplay and departed in a fitting fashion as he lost control of his bat in his attempt to whack Shoaib Bashir out of the park. If Gill was the attacked by English bowlers in the morning session, he took the onus upon himself to take the attack back to the opposition camp in the second one. Josh Tongue tried the short ball against Gill at the start of the session and Gill was happy to pull it over fine leg on two occasions. His knock included a flat batted boundary off Tongue while the Indian captain showed total disdain when Bashir was in operation. In the morning session, KL Rahul lost his middle stump to a beauty from Tongue before Pant made the morning session more entertaining with his inimitable strokeplay, leaving India at 177 for three at lunch. The 13-over old ball was expected to do a bit in cloudy conditions and it did for the England pacers especially Brydon Carse who bowled his heart out in the session. Rahul (55 off 84) played some majestic cover drives before being undone by a peach from Tongue that straightened from an angle to uproot the Indian batter's middle stump. Karun Nair (26 off 46) was the first wicket to fall on the day, a result of Carse's relentless pressure. Soon after being driven for four, Carse continued to lure Nair into a drive and was rewarded with an outside edge to the wicket-keeper. The tall bowler, who dismissed Nair with a snorter in the first innings, hit Nair's grille with a nasty bouncer, prompting a concussion check. Pant came out in the 30th over and went ballistic from the get go. He smashed Josh Tongue for a four and a six over mid-off to make his intentions clear before executing a falling pick up shot off Ben Stokes that went all the way. The crowd thoroughly enjoyed the battle between Pant and England bowlers. Towards the end of the session, Pant attempted a wild slog off Tongue but the bat slipped out his hands. Jamie Smith did well to collect the ball behind the stumps.
Time of India
37 minutes ago
- Time of India
IND vs ENG: Shubman Gill shuts down Harry Brook's 'draw' talk with epic reply
Shubman Gill (Getty Images) Shubman Gill maintained his scorching form with yet another century, piling on the pressure and stretching India's massive lead in the second Test at Edgbaston in Birmingham. After losing the opening Test by five wickets at Headingley, India are determined to bounce back and level the five-match series 1-1 — and Gill's batting masterclass has put them firmly in control. Amid Gill's dominant knock, a lighthearted exchange between the Indian skipper and England batter Harry Brook added a touch of humour to the tense contest. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! Here's how the conversation unfolded: Harry Brook: 'Not 450 declared? Shubman, you know it's raining tomorrow. Half day. Afternoon. It's raining.' Shubman Gill: 'Bad luck for us.' Harry Brook: 'Take the draw.' Shubman became just the third Indian skipper to score centuries in both innings of a Test match, joining the legendary Sunil Gavaskar (vs West Indies, Kolkata, 1978) and Virat Kohli (vs Australia, Adelaide, 2014). Poll How important is Shubman Gill's form for India's success in the series? Very important Somewhat important Not important What makes Gill's feat even more remarkable is the magnitude of his contribution — a stunning 269 in the first innings followed by a fluent century in the second. IND vs ENG 2nd Test: Rain Arrives After Stumps on Day 3 | What It Means for India's Batting W by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Why seniors are rushing to get this Internet box – here's why! Techno Mag Learn More Undo ith this, he also became only the ninth batter in Test history to register a double hundred and a century in the same Test match. For India, only Gavaskar had achieved this rare feat before, during the famous 1971 series against the West Indies in Port of Spain. Gill is now also the second Indian after Kohli to score three centuries in his first two Tests as captain. Kohli had achieved this during his captaincy debut in 2014-15, and now Gill has matched that feat with centuries at Headingley and a twin-ton masterclass at Edgbaston. Only two players in Test history — Kohli and Gill — have managed this rare feat of three hundreds in their first two matches as Test captain. In addition, Gill joins an exclusive group of players — including Vijay Hazare, Sunil Gavaskar, Greg Chappell, and Steven Smith — who have scored two centuries in their first two Tests as skipper. For real-time updates, scores, and highlights, follow our live coverage of the India vs England Test match here. Game On Season 1 continues with Mirabai Chanu's inspiring story. Watch Episode 2 here.
