Former India cricketer Yashpal Sharma, who was part of the 1983 World Cup-winning squad, passed away at the age of 66 due to a cardiac arrest in New Delhi on Tuesday (July 13).
As the cricket fraternity mourns, Yashpal’s former teammate Kris Srikkanth also expressed his grief, saying he felt numbed by the news.
"We have a Whatsapp group called 'Forever Champions' which includes the members of the 1983 World Cup team. The first message was that of Yashpal's passing away. I was shocked. He was hale and hearty and his sudden passing away left me numbed. My condolences to his wife and family," Srikkanth told TOI in an exclusive chat.
Yashpal Sharma played a key role in India’s 1983 World Cup triumph. While he scored 89 in the opening match against then defending champions West Indies, he hit a stroke-filled 61 not out in the semi-final against England.
Recalling Yashpal’s contribution in the World Cup win, Srikkanth said: "He was always our unsung hero. He would always contribute either with his bat or his tremendous fielding. The fact that Yashpal (Sharma) was the second highest-scorer in the 1983 World Cup behind Kapil Dev with 240 runs speaks volumes of his contribution in our triumph. That 89 gave us self-belief while the way he smashed Bob Willis for sixes against England set the tone for the successful chase in the semis. I still remember his love for badams (almonds) during our playing days. So whenever he used to hit those sixes, we would call them 'badam shots'."
Commenting on Yashpal Sharma’s batting approach, Srikkanth said: "His batting was gritty to the point that he would take blows on his body but would never give away his wicket. We would often share batting notes with each other and that would eventually help us improve our skills."
Yashpal Sharma also served Indian cricket as a national selector during the early part of 2000.
According to Srikkanth, Yashpal had a keen eye for recognising talents.
"His insights were logical and he was upright in his views and never compromised while selecting teams. That was crucial for us to name a World Cup-winning side," he said.
(With TOI inputs)
