On the field I was the captain but off the field, they all were my captain, says Kapil Dev
The first World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev shared his feelings of the time he took on the reigns of the team. He shared that he was both happy and scared when he took over the responsibility while recalling how awkward he felt when he led the team of great players whom he saw as his heroes.
It was a nostalgic moment for the former skipper and ace all-rounder from India Kapil Dev as he recalled the time when he took the reigns of the team. He assumed captaincy of the Indian team back in 1982 at a slender age of 23. Dev said that he was both happy and scared.
"Sometimes you get some things before time and later you realise. I was 23 years old when they made me the captain. I was scared as well as happy because I was thinking about how I will handle these senior players. But I was happy because the selector felt that I was capable enough to be a captain," TOI quoted Dev saying in his speech at an event.
Dev also shared how awkward it was to lead a team of experienced players, the ones he considered his “heroes”. He also went on to say he was the captain on the field but it was the experienced players who were his captain.
"I was feeling a bit weird that I became the captain and my heroes were playing with me and under me. So, that was a very difficult time ... I only thought one thing that on the field I was the captain but off the field, they all are my captain."
Talking about his biopic which is named “83”, Dev clarified that the movie is about how India lifted its first-ever World Cup and not his biopic. Ranveer Singh will be playing the ace Indian all-rounder in the upcoming movie.
"The movie is not about me. The movie is about how we won the 1983 World Cup. Yes, I am lucky that an actor like Ranveer Singh, who has so much ability, is playing my role," said Dev.