Kapil Dev Biography: Early Life, Cricket Journey, Awards and Recognition
Table of Contents
Kapil Dev: Early Life, Family Background
Kapil Dev, full name of Dev is Kapil Dev Ramlal Nikhanj. He was born on January 6, 1959, Chandigarh, India). He is Indian cricketer and the greatest pace bowler in Indian history. He is the only cricketer to have scored over 5,000 runs and taken more than 400 wickets in Test (international match) cricket.
Kapil Dev made his debut in first-class cricket playing for his state, Haryana. He joined the Indian national team for a 1978–79 Test series against Pakistan.
Kapil Dev born as Kapil Dev Nikhanj, he is a well-known cricketer from India. Dev is considered as one of the greatest players in the history of cricket.
- Real Name: Kapil Dev Ramlal Nikhanj
- Nick Name: Haryana Hurricane, Dev
- Profession: Former Indian Cricketer
- Height: in centimeters- 183 cm, in meters- 1.83 m, in Feet Inches- 6’ 0”
- Weight: in Kilograms- 82 kg, in Pounds- 181 lbs
- Eye Color: Black
- Hair Color: Black
- Date of Birth: 6 January 1959
- Birth Place: Chandigarh, India
- Nationality: Indian
- Hometown: Chandigarh, India
- School: D.A.V. School, Chandigarh, India
- College: N/A
- Education Qualifications: N/A
- Father: Ram Lal Nikhanj
- Mother: Raj Kumari Lajwanti
- Brother: N/A
- Sister: N/A
- Best Friends: Sunil Gavaskar
- Religion: Hindu
- Home Address: 31/9, nirala nagar, chandigarh, haryana. A-1 Chirag Enclave, Kailash Area, New Delhi.
- Hobbies: Playing Golf, Listening Music
Kapil Dev Stats
He debuted the Test Cricket with a match played against Pakistan at Faisalabad in the year 1978. During the 3rd Test match played at Karachi, he scored the fasted half-century made by any Indian cricketer off just 33 balls.
Kapil Dev is a name synonymous with Indian cricket. It was under Kapil that India took that huge step towards becoming a cricketing powerhouse by winning the 1983 World Cup, beating the odds against the mighty West Indies in the final.
Kapil Dev Batting Career Summary
| – | M | Inn | Runs | NO | Avg | SR | 100s | 50s | HS |
| Test | 131 | 184 | 5248 | 15 | 31.05 | – | 8 | 27 | 163 |
| ODI | 225 | 198 | 3783 | 39 | 23.79 | 95.07 | 1 | 14 | 175* |
| World Cup | 26 | 24 | 669 | 6 | 37.16 | 115.14 | 1 | 1 | 175* |
Kapil Dev Bowling Career Summary
| – | INN | OVR | M | Runs | W | Best | Avg | 3w | 5w | S/R |
| Test | 227 | 4623.2 | 1060 | 12867 | 434 | 9/83 | 29.64 | 30 | 23 | 63.91 |
| ODI | 221 | 1867 | 235 | 6945 | 253 | 5/43 | 27.45 | 15 | 1 | 44.27 |
| World Cup | 25 | 237 | 27 | 892 | 28 | 5/43 | 31.85 | 1 | 1 | 50.78 |
Kapil Dev Fielding Career Summary
| – | Catches | Stumping |
| Test | 64 | 0 |
| ODI | 71 | 0 |
| World Cup | 12 | 0 |
Kapil Dev Captaincy Career Summary
| – | M | Won | Lost | Tie | NR | Win% |
| Test | 34 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 22 | 11.76 |
| ODI | 74 | 39 | 33 | 0 | 2 | 52.7 |
| World Cup | 15 | 11 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 73.33 |
Kapil Dev: Awards and Recognition
Test cricket:
- In early 1994, he became the highest Test wicket-taker in the world, breaking the record held by Sir Richard Hadlee. Kapil’s record was broken by Courtney Walsh in 1999..
- Kapil is the only player to have achieved the all-rounder’s double of 4,000 Test runs and 400 Test wickets.
- Kapil holds the record for the most innings in a complete career (184) without being run out.
- He is the youngest test cricketer to take 300 wickets( 27 years 2days)
ODI cricket:
- In 1988, Kapil overtook Joel Garner to become the highest wicket-taker in ODI cricket. His final career tally of 253 wickets remained a record until it was broken by Wasim Akram in 1994.
- According to the ICC cricket ratings for all-rounders in ODI cricket,Kapil’s peak rating of 631 is the highest rating ever achieved. He reached this mark on 22 March 1985 after a World Series final against Pakistan in Australia.
Kapil Dev Awards
- 1979–80 – Arjuna Award
- 1982 – Padma Shri
- 1983 – Wisden Cricketer of the Year
- 1991 – Padma Bhushan
- 2002 – Wisden Indian Cricketer of the Century
- 2010 – ICC Cricket Hall of Fame
- 2013 – The 25 Greatest Global Living Legends In India by NDTV
- 2013 – CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement award(announced)
After retirement, Kapil Dev became India’s coach for a brief period. A 0-3 loss against Australia, a 0-2 loss to South Africa and accusations of match-fixing saw him step down from the post in tears as he announced that he was leaving the game forever. However, he was cleared of all charges and went on to win the accolade of the Wisden Indian Cricketer of the Century, ahead of Sunil Gavaskar and Sachin Tendulkar. He joined the National Cricket Academy in 2004 but was removed from the chairmanship after he joined the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL) in 2007. He continues to be a popular critic and commentator to this day.
