Kapil Dev (1959-…), an Indian cricketer, was the best fast bowler produced by India for many years. In 2002, Kapil Dev was named Indian Player of the Century. He led India to its only World Cup victory in 1983 when he was named Cricketer of the Year. Kapil Dev was also a gifted batsman and an athletic outfielder. On his retirement in 1996, he had taken 434 Test wickets at an average of 29.64, and scored 5,248 runs at 31.05 runs per innings. He is the only player in history to score more than 5,000 runs and take more than 400 wickets in Tests.
Kapildev Ramlal Nikhanj was born on Jan. 6, 1959, in Chandigarh, India. He captained India during the 1983 cricket World Cup, which India won, and also from 1985 to 1987. He was capped—that is, he played for his country—131 times. He also played county cricket in England for Worcestershire and Northamptonshire. He played in his first Test in 1978/1979 against Pakistan.
