The former Indian captain Kapil Dev in his playing days has achieved a lot of accolades for his side and has turned 65 years old today. The former Indian all-rounder changed the landscape of Team India as a cricketing nation with the help of his immense dedication and passion shown on the field while playing.
Here, in this article, we will have a look at five of the records created by Kapil Dev in the cricket record books.
First batsman to smash a century for India in ODIs:
Indian team after losing back-to-back matches against Australia and West Indies in the group stage were in a spot of bother as the match against Zimbabwe at Tunbridge Wells became a must-win game for them. India at one stage was struggling at 17/5 but Kapil Dev played an unbelievable knock by scoring an unbeaten 175 runs off 138 balls and helped his side to beat Zimbabwe by 31 runs.
Kapil Dev became the first batsman to record a century for India in an ODI game and also this was the highest ever ODI score at that time until Viv Richards scored 189* vs England at Manchester a year later in 1984. This was also the highest ODI score for any batsman coming into bat at number 6 (or) lower position until Maxwell’s double century vs Afghanistan at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
#PAGE_BREAK#
Only Indian pace bowler with 400-plus wickets in Test cricket:
Kapil Dev in his test career has a total of 434 wickets, which is most for an Indian pace bowler overall. Notably, he also has taken the most wickets for India in International cricket (687) among pace bowlers.
Most wickets for India in Test cricket:
- Anil Kumble – 619 (236 inns)
- Ravichandran Ashwin – 490 (179 inns)
- Kapil Dev – 434 (227 inns)
Most wickets for India in International cricket:
- Anil Kumble – 953 (499 inns)
- Ravichandran Ashwin – 718 (358 inns)
- Harbhajan Singh – 707 (442 inns)
- Kapil Dev – 687 (448 inns)
- Zaheer Khan – 597 (373 inns)
#PAGE_BREAK#
Only all-rounder to score 4000-plus runs and 400-plus wickets in history:
Kapil Dev has been the only player in the world to have both milestone 4000-plus runs (5248) and 400-plus wickets (434) in Test cricket history. No other player apart from Kapil Dev has achieved this feat still now, and even in the future, it might never be possible for any other player to record both milestones in Test cricket.
Most runs by a batsman in Test cricket while batting at number 6 (or) lower position:
- Mark Boucher – 5497 (205 inns)
- Kapil Dev – 5116 (178 inns)
- Adam Gilchrist – 5074 (126 inns)
#PAGE_BREAK#
Holds the record for having best bowling figures as captain in Tests:
Kapil Dev has been the only player to have taken nine wickets in a Test innings as captain. No other player apart from Kapil Dev has taken 9 wickets in a Test innings as captain so far.
Best bowling figures in a Test innings as captain:
- Kapil Dev – 9/83 vs West Indies in Ahmedabad, 1983
- Imran Khan – 8/60 vs India in Karachi, 1982
- Rangana Herath – 8/63 vs Zimbabwe in Harare, 2016
- Kapil Dev – 8/106 vs Australia in Adelaide, 1985
#PAGE_BREAK#
Youngest ever captain to lift the ODI World Cup trophy:
Kapil Dev has been the only ever captain to lift an ODI World Cup trophy under the age of 25. He was just 24 years old when he helped India lift the ODI World Cup trophy in 1983.
Youngest ever captain to lift an ODI WC trophy:
- Kapil Dev – 24 yrs & 170 days in 1983
- Ricky Ponting – 28 yrs & 94 days in 2003
- MS Dhoni – 29 yrs & 269 days in 2011
