He is a known car lover and owns a fleet of world-famous luxury vehicles. But more than the fuel-run beauties former Indian cricket team captain Kapil Dev is enamoured with, he is in love with digit ‘1983’, it seems. Kapil Dev has ‘1983’ on the registration plates of at least three vehicles he moves in. What makes Kapil going for ‘1983’ when he could have easily afforded to have the choicest of vanity numbers in demand? Read on.
This seems a subtle tribute of the ‘Haryana Hurricane’ (as Kapil Dev is fondly called) to his first love — cricket. It was in 1983 that Indian cricket team led by him won the first cricket World Cup for India. The feat was too big for the millions of cricket-crazy Indians to go gaga about and it meant much more for Kapil Dev for obvious reasons.
The vehicles (see pics) in which Kapil Dev has been spotted in are: A C-Class Mercedes with the registration number HR 26 DA 1983; a Mercedes (GLS 350 d) carrying HR 26 DB 1983; and a Toyota Fortuner numbered DL 8 CAF 1983.
The former cricketer didn’t wear the achievement on his sleeve, and instead got it etched somewhere else in a dignified manner. The World Cup victory On 25 June 1983 under Kapil Dev still weighs heavier than other cricketing accomplishments of similar stature by Team India since.
The year is all the more special for Kapil as he scored his career’s highest runs in an innings, 175 (not out) to be precise, against Zimbabwe. Kapil Dev had slammed 16 fours and six sixes in his flamboyant show with the bat. His performance in that match on 18 June 1983 is still adjudged among the all-time best. His bowling stats in the same match were no less impressive: 11 overs, 1 maiden, 32 runs, 1 wicket!
The former cricketer couldn’t be contacted for his comment as he was travelling abroad. But, there are already enough reasons on record to write on Kapil’s love for 1983!