This photo is a proud moment for each one of us as Indians. This win gave all of us a sense of achievement and India was marked on the world map.
I recently saw the movie 83, which is based on the Cricket World Cup that India won in 1983. It took me back to those days when watching a match on the TV (with a black and white screen) itself was a luxury or treat. Most people used to listen to the running commentary on their pocket-size radios.
Today’s smartphone generation may find this weird… In the world of 4G/5G and 100mbps speed, the days of radio commentary are definitely weird. But yes, that was the reality of life.
The movie shows the reality of those days of cricket and the struggles that our Indian cricket players faced both on and off the field. Kapil Dev’s passion for cricket is well-captured in the film. It is worth a watch if you want to go down memory lane. During those days, Indian cricket used to be looked down upon as we were just another team in front of the West Indies and England, who were dominating the cricket world.
For people like me who have been fortunate enough to spend their childhood in a village, we used to depend on the local newspaper (Marathi, in my case) for any information. So obviously, we used to follow cricket updates — from the Harris Shield school tournament to Ranaji trophy and International cricket — from the newspaper. We knew about Sachin Tendulkar and Vinod Kambli much before their Ranaji debuts, right from their school days.
Cricket has changed over time and now, with the IPL that came in over the last 10 or so years, the sport has become more professional. It has become a business and investment opportunity for people. The mindset around the sport has changed across the fraternity.
I hope the pride in wearing the blue Indian cap and t-shirt remains intact. Sports is now looked upon as a respected profession; even glamour is attached to it now. Even parents have come to accept and support their children in sports careers. This is not only limited to cricket but many other types of sports that are appreciated at such a level.
This is a change that was needed in our country. Hope this era continues in all sports. Wish you a very happy new year and may God bless us with good health and happiness always ?