-
-
-
Loading
Loading
India's victory in the 1983 Cricket World Cup is regarded as one of the most remarkable upsets in sports history. At the time, India was not considered a strong contender in one-day international cricket, having only won one match in the two previous World Cups. However, on June 25, 1983, India achieved the seemingly impossible by defeating the star-studded West Indies team. India batted first and were bowled out for 183 runs. When the West Indies reached 50-1 in response, it seemed like another victory for the Caribbean team was inevitable. However, everything changed when India's captain, Kapil Dev, caught an mistimed shot from Viv Richards. This breakthrough opened the floodgates, and the West Indies team collapsed, getting all out for 140 runs. India celebrated their unexpected triumph, and it marked the beginning of the country's love affair with one-day cricket. In 2007, India experienced their lowest point in World Cups when they lost to Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in the group stages, resulting in their elimination from the tournament. The team's performance was heavily criticized, with commentators describing it as "shambolic" and blaming the toothless bowling attack and sloppy fielding. The defeat led to enraged Indian fans attacking wicketkeeper MS Dhoni's house and protests against the team in some cities. The confrontational encounter between India's wicketkeeper Kiran More and Pakistan's batter Javed Miandad in the 1992 World Cup is also memorable. Verbal exchanges and mockeries ensued after More's over-optimistic appeal for a catch. Pakistan was chasing 216 runs to win, but Miandad's slow-scoring innings of 40 runs off 110 balls allowed India to secure a 43-run victory. In 2011, India won the World Cup for the first time since 1983 by defeating Sri Lanka in a nail-biting final. Gautam Gambhir scored 97 runs, but it was captain MS Dhoni's unbeaten 91 that led India to victory with 10 balls to spare. Dhoni sealed the win with a phenomenal straight six that has become iconic in Indian cricket history. Sunil Gavaskar, India's legendary opening batter, had a disappointing debut in the 1975 World Cup when he scored only 36 runs off 174 balls. The slow-scoring innings drew severe criticism, with the team manager describing it as "disgraceful and selfish." Gavaskar later admitted that it was the worst innings he had ever played and acknowledged that it did not conform to the norms of limited-overs cricket. In the 1999 World Cup, Sachin Tendulkar delivered a remarkable century just days after his father's death. Tendulkar flew back to India after receiving the news of his father's passing and returned to England to play the remaining World Cup matches. He dedicated his century against Kenya to his father, stating that it was what his father would have wanted him to do. India's semi-final match against Sri Lanka in the 1996 World Cup was marred by crowd trouble, resulting in its abandonment. Vinod Kambli was seen crying as he left the field, feeling robbed of a chance to win for his country. India's captain, Mohammad Azharuddin, faced backlash for choosing to field first, and his residence had to be placed under armed guard. Ashish Nehra's exceptional bowling performance in the 2003 World Cup against England is considered the best by an Indian bowler in World Cup history. Despite nursing a swollen ankle, Nehra took 6 wickets for 23 runs, leading India to victory. In the 1999 World Cup, Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly set a record-breaking partnership of 318 runs against Sri Lanka. Ganguly scored 183 runs off 158 balls, while Dravid scored 145 runs, helping India amass a total of 373 runs and win the match by 157 runs. In the 2019 World Cup semi-final against New Zealand, India suffered a stunning defeat after a top-order collapse. MS Dhoni, known for his finishing abilities, fell short of guiding India to victory and was run out for 50 runs in his last innings for the national team. These moments in Indian cricket history have left a lasting impact and continue to be cherished by fans for generations.