Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar, who has completed 50 years in cricket, has cleared the air on the heavily controversial topic of dropping Kapil Dev for the 1984 Kolkata Test against England.
A controversial moment happens in 1984 when the 1983-World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev was dropped from the team for the Kolkata Test against England.
Sunil Gavaskar on Dropping Kapil Dev
Under Gavaskar’s leadership, India went on to win the game by 8 wickets. Back then, it was reported that Kapil was dropped by Gavaskar due to his poor performances.
On being asked about the same in a recent interaction, Gavaskar said that it was ‘a myth that has been spread’ for a long time.
“As far as Kapil Dev is concerned, this has been something a myth that has been spread for a long, long time. I did not propose dropping Kapil Dev. I was part of the selection committee as the Indian captain and as the Indian captain, I can join the selection committee I do not have a voting right. I’m just co-opted to the selection committee. The proposed action to drop Kapil there was proposed by somebody else, another selector,” Gavaskar told Sports Today.
“So, I have to only say one thing that I might be a lot of things I might be whatever, but I’m not stupid to drop my only match-winner. To propose dropping my only match-winner? How could I have even…. How can anybody even think that! Am I that stupid to think in terms of dropping my match-winner?” he questioned.
Gavaskar said that a lot has been spoken about his relationship with Kapil Dev but the two share a mutual respect for each other.
“Yes, there was there were all kinds of canards being spread around that time about the relationship between Kapil and myself. We are we have always had a relationship of mutual respect. It still is one of mutual respect.
His circle of friends was different. He was 10 years younger than me his circle of friends even now is different. But that doesn’t mean that you know, we don’t like each other or whatever it is, it was just spread and sadly it has remained much in the same case that there is talk about two of our stalwarts in the current Indian team as well as that they don’t get along,” Gavaskar said.
“We don’t know the story, but it is something because cricket is such a popular game in India, people like to spread stories like this. So, the thing about Kapil’s dropping is yes being part of the selection committee, collective responsibility. Yes, that way I am also to be blamed but I did not propose dropping a couple of days for the next Test,” he signed off.
Gavaskar was the first batsman to cross the 10,000-run mark in Test cricket, had lead India across format from 1976 to 1985.
Also read: Kapil Dev Praises Virat Kohli and Shared Interesting Incidents from his Life
