India celebrates silver jubilee of `83 triumph

Cricket-crazy India yesterday celebrated 25 years of the greatest triumph it has achieved so far in the sport by reliving the historic 1983 World Cup glory.

National dailies and television channels here paid glowing tributes to `Kapil`s Devils`, going down memory lane to recreate the moments leading up to the victory that changed the cricketing landscape of the country.

In fact, a documentary reviving the memories, complete with interviews of the victorious team members, was released today to mark the occassion.

The men who made it happen, however, are not here. Kapil Dev and his teammates are in London, where 25 years ago they went as no-hopers but came back heroes.

They are set to be felicitated all over again at Lord`s and will also celebrate their achievement at a dinner hosted by Sunil Gavaskar, an integral part of the 1983 World Cup team.

BCCI President Sharad Pawar will be their to honour the team all over again.

They have already been felicitated by the Indian Board, which gave away Rs 25 lakh to each member of the triumphant squad.

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Although Kapil`s alignment with the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL) has made him a pariah for the Board, the differences were firmly put on the backburner when the Board honoured the legendary all-rounder for achieving a feat that no other Indian captain has managed to emulate.

Before the BCCI felicitation, the team came together to play a round of golf and take a walk down memory lane.

And the stories they revealed ranged from having to wash their own laundry during the tournament to save money to reminding a British journalist of his promise to eat his words for saying that a weak team like India should not have been allowed to play in the World Cup in his preview.

That sports writer washed down his words quite literally with a glass of wine and cricket took its first step towards becoming a religion in India.