'There is a certain importance and pride attached to this jersey. Everyone needs to realise that. You have to strive for excellence and show that you are obsessed to win every minute of the game.'
Kapil's ‘Devils' pristine whites at the Lord's in 1983 was a source of inspiration for Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who wore different shades of blue in 2007 and 2011 and is 'proud to hand over the legacy' of Indian jersey to future generations.
The Indian team's new 2019 World Cup jersey was launched by sporting apparel giants Nike in the presence of former captain Dhoni, current skipper Virat Kohli, his Test deputy Ajinkya Rahane and young turk Prithvi Shaw.
Asked about what exactly an Indian jersey reminds him, the two-time World champion former skipper said: "It always reminds me of the great legacy that we have got. It's not only that. Playing each and every bilateral series, reaching No 1 across formats, all these are motivational stuff."
One of the greatest to ever donned the India Blues, Dhoni spoke with a lot of reverence about how the seeds of the present were sown back in 1983 when Kapil Dev lifted the World Cup.
"It feels good to always get into past a bit. During first World Cup in 1983, we were very young. Later, saw videos of how everyone celebrated. In 2007, we won World T20. So we are good at it (World titles). It's good that we carried that legacy forward and hand it over to the future generations," the eldest statesman of Team India said.
"Hopefully, the (new) jersey becomes a part of lot of World Cups but it is the consistency that we are really proud of," Dhoni added.
Kohli had a message for all aspiring India stars.
"There is a certain importance and pride attached to this jersey. Everyone needs to realise that. You have to strive for excellence and show that you are obsessed to win every minute of the game. That's how you get that jersey," said Kohli.
