Cricinfo - Players and Officials

Full name Kapildev Ramlal Nikhanj
Born January 6, 1959, Chandigarh
Current age 49 years 275 days
Major teams India, Haryana, Northamptonshire, Worcestershire
Batting style Right-hand bat
Bowling style Right-arm fast-medium

Batting and fielding averages

Mat

Inns

Runs

Ave

100

Tests

131

184

5248

163

31.05

ODIs

225

198

3783

175*

23.79

3979

95.07

First-class

275

384

11356

193

32.91

192

List A

309

270

5461

175*

24.59

Bowling averages

Mat

Inns

Balls

Runs

Wkts

BBI

BBM

Ave

Econ

Tests

131

227

27740

12867

434

9/83

11/146

29.64

2.78

63.9

ODIs

225

221

11202

6945

253

5/43

27.45

3.71

44.2

First-class

275

48853

22626

835

9/83

27.09

2.77

58.5

List A

309

14947

9161

335

5/43

27.34

3.67

44.6

Career statistics

Test debut

Pakistan v India at Faisalabad, Oct 16-21, 1978 scorecard

Last Test

New Zealand v India at Hamilton, Mar 19-23, 1994 scorecard

Test statistics

ODI debut

Pakistan v India at Quetta, Oct 1, 1978 scorecard

Last ODI

India v West Indies at Faridabad, Oct 17, 1994 scorecard

ODI statistics

First-class span

1975/76 - 1993/94

List A span

1977/78 - 1994/95

Wisden overview
Kapil Dev was the greatest pace bowler India has produced, and their greatest fast-bowling allrounder. If he had played at any other time - not when Imran Khan, Ian Botham and Richard Hadlee were contemporaries - he would surely have been recognised as the best allrounder in the world. In any case he did enough to be voted India's Cricketer of the Century during 2002, ahead of Sunil Gavaskar and Sachin Tendulkar. His greatest feats were to lead India almost jauntily, and by his allround example, to the 1983 World Cup, and to take the world-record aggregate of Test wickets from Hadlee. It was the stamina of the marathon runner that took him finally to 431 wickets and only a yard beyond. He might not have been quite the bowling equal of Imran, Hadlee or Botham at his best, and his strike rate was less than four wickets per Test. But he was still outstanding in his accuracy and ability to swing the ball, usually away from right-handers. And he could hit a ball even more brilliantly than he bowled it, with uncomplicated flair.

Kapil had a rather ordinary stint as India's coach for ten months between October 1999 and August 2000. Att the height of the match fixing allegation by Manoj Prabhakar -- a charge that was subsequently dismissed - Kapil resigned as coach. Hurt by the betting controversy, he announced that he was leaving the game. However, he returned from a significantly quiet period when Wisden named him as one of 16 finalists for the Indian Cricketer of the Century award. He won, and then returned to cricket as a bowling consultant and served as chairman of National Cricket Academy for two years. In May 2007, Kapil joined the breakaway Indian Cricket League, which led to his removal from the NCA.
Scyld Berry June 2008

Oct 2, 2008

Kapil Dev looks during the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship © Getty Images

Oct 2, 2008

Kapil Dev and South African rugby legend Morne Du Plessis at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship © Getty Images

Sep 16, 2008

Alok Kapali, Shahriar Nafees, Dhiman Ghosh, Habibul Bashar along with ICL board chairman Kapil Dev at the unveiling of the Dhaka Warriors © AFP

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