THE 1983 WORLD CUP WIN

One of the biggest reasons why the Indian team and fans embraced the ODI format was because Kapil Dev and his men won the Prudential (now ICC) World Cup in 1983 in England, beating two-time defending champions West Indies in the final.

Apart from the epic victory in the final at Lord’s when Indian bowlers defended a paltry total of 183 runs against a mighty West Indian batting lineup; the way a true underdog Indian team reached the finals was a story in itself.

Madan Lal says Kapil's 1983 WC winning side would have defeated Dhoni's 2011 WC team

India had won a grand total of one match in the previous two editions of the World Cup in 1975 and 1979, with the win coming against East Africa. No one gave the Indian team a chance of going past the league round in the 1983 edition as well.

However, the team defeated West Indies and Australia in the league stages one time each, and then captain Kapil Dev played that amazing knock of 175* to help India beat Zimbabwe from a precarious position.

It gave the captain and the team confidence of going all the way, which they did, by beating England in the semi-finals and finally conquering Clive Lloyd’s men in the final on June 25 at Lord’s.