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'Kapil had faith in his team and the team had faith in its captain.'
This Sunday, June 25, 2023, will mark 40 years since India's memorable World Cup triumph in 1983.
The cricketing world was left in awe as Kapil's Devils shocked the mighty West Indies in the final to claim India's first World Cup title at Lord's.
Millions in India and worldwide took to the sport overnight as new sporting heroes emerged for a country starved of sporting success on the global stage.
40 years on, all-rounder Kirti Azad vividly remembers every little detail of India's famous conquest at Lord's as if it happened yesterday.
Azad, who played a crucial role with the ball in India's victory against England in the semi-final, tells Rediff.com's Harish Kotian what made the 1983 World Cup triumph possible. The first of a three-part exclusive interview:
It's been 40 years since the 1983 World Cup triumph. How fresh are the memories?
As fresh as yesterday.
I remember every single thing from that World Cup, it was as if it happened yesterday.
What were the key ingredients in India's World Cup win because the team was already written off going into the tournament and many Indian players themselves have admitted they were looking forward to a one-month vacation in England?
It was very simple... to make the impossible possible.
Team spirit, self-belief and knowing that if we play together we shall always win.
Everybody played to their potential. They weren't any exceptional outstanding individual performances except for Kapil Dev's 175 not out against Zimbabwe.
We had the gentle giant with us, Roger Binny, who picked the highest wickets in the World Cup. Madan Lal, missing him by just one wicket.
And individually everybody contributed.
Kapil had faith in his team and the team had faith in its captain.
We never took any tension, we played the game as it came.