Kapil dev Birthday: When Kapil Dev took on BCCI, on his birthday know the story that gave birth to IPL
Kapil Dev: Kapil Dev, who won the World Cup for the first time in Indian cricket history, is celebrating his 66th birthday. He made a big contribution in the establishment of ICL in 2007. After which he had a long dispute with BCCI. Know what was that story on his birthday.
Ankush Pandey
Kapil Dev: The great Indian captain Kapil Dev is celebrating his 66th birthday today on 6 January. Born in Chandigarh in 1959, this great cricketer is considered one of the best all-rounders India has ever produced. Due to his unique style of bowling and leadership skills, he won India its first World Cup in 1983. But there came a time in his career when he got into a fight with the BCCI and due to that he remained in controversies for a long time and this controversy gave birth to India's first and the world's second most expensive league. Let us tell you what that matter was.
In the 50-over Cricket World Cup held in the West Indies in 2007, the Indian team failed to advance beyond the group stage despite the presence of legends like Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly and the captaincy of Rahul Dravid. This defeat marked the beginning of major changes in Indian cricket. Just six months later, Rahul Dravid left the captaincy and a new direction began in Indian cricket under the leadership of Anil Kumble.
Dhoni captained the World Cup after 24 years
During this time, another revolution was taking shape in cricket. 20-over cricket was becoming popular in England, Australia and New Zealand, drawing huge crowds of spectators to the stadiums. However, the BCCI, which governs the game in India, failed to understand the potential of this new format and did not take it seriously. Even for the first T20 World Cup to be held at the end of the year, the BCCI sent a young team without major stars. But this young team, under the captaincy of Mahendra Singh Dhoni, created history by winning the title, which was India's first title in this format and the first ICC World Cup after 1983.
BCCI neglect gave birth to ICL
Despite this, BCCI did not take T20 cricket seriously. But during this time Zee Network owner Subhash Chandra announced the Indian Cricket League (ICL) in May 2007 with the financial support of Essel Group. With an investment of about $25 million, Chandra formed a high-level board, which included former cricket legends Dean Jones, Tony Greg and Kapil Dev. The aim of this board was to organize the country's first major T20 tournament. ICL started its career in November 2007 with six domestic teams made up of a mix of Indian and international players. A cash prize of $1 million was announced for the winning team in this tournament.
Kapil Dev worked hard for ICL
Kapil Dev worked hard for ICL, but no big Indian star became a part of this league, while some international players joined it. BCCI refused to recognize ICL and banned all the players playing in it. BCCI also stopped its member associations from providing grounds to host ICL matches. However, ICL had many challenges. Meanwhile, BCCI also started IPL and urged Kapil Dev to end this league. But he did not agree.
Kapil Dev was in trouble
The BCCI eventually took the harshest step and expelled Kapil Dev from the National Cricket Association for supporting the ICL. The boards of other cricket playing nations also supported the ban on players participating in the ICL. This was followed by a series of incidents, court cases and failed negotiations. The ICL weakened due to these obstacles. The league ran until 2009, but it never achieved widespread success and was eventually shut down. The ICL had an immediate impact on cricket in the country. With the threat of young players joining the league, the BCCI was forced to look for new options and increase its income in domestic cricket. However, acknowledging the potential of this new format had a much bigger impact and in less than a year the Indian Premier League (IPL) was formed with the support of the BCCI.
BCCI announces amnesty plan for players
Realising the immense potential of the T20 format and the sponsorship money it brings, the BCCI magnanimously allowed ICL players to participate in the IPL, but on one condition—they would have to leave the rebel league. In April 2008, the BCCI announced an amnesty plan for all those associated with the ICL, with a deadline of May 31 to sever all ties with the ICL. Most players accepted the condition and became part of the IPL. On June 2, it announced amnesty for 79 players, 11 former players and 11 officials. Kapil Dev was not on that list.
Finally Kapil Dev agreed and agreed to compromise
He maintained a stubborn attitude for a long time. His pension was also stopped. Finally he gave up and reached a compromise with BCCI in 2011. Former India captain Kapil Dev broke his ties with the unofficial Indian Cricket League. BCCI said, "Kapil Dev has informed the Board that he has resigned from Essel Sports Private Limited/ICL." The BCCI stated, "Kapil Dev has informed the Board that he has resigned from Essel Sports Private Limited/ICL." "The letter also states that he has always supported," BCCI said. the Board and will continue to do so in future. After this, the way for him to work with BCCI again opened. BCCI then said that it acknowledges Kapil Dev's immense contribution to Indian cricket and looks forward to better cooperation with him in the coming years. Later, Kapil Dev was given a benefit of Rs 1.5 crore and possibly his pension dues in the coming years.
Kapil Dev's career
Kapil Dev represented India in 131 Tests and 225 ODIs. He took 434 wickets and scored 5248 runs in the longest format of the game. In ODIs, he took 253 wickets and scored 3783 runs. Kapil Dev scored nine centuries across formats and took four wickets 20 times, five wickets 24 times and 10 wickets twice. Apart from winning the 1983 ODI World Cup, Kapil Dev won two Asia Cup titles (in 1988 and 1991) as Indian captain. He is especially remembered for his 175-run innings played in the 1983 World Cup and then winning India's first World Cup in the West Indies. He then worked in various fields for a long time and Kapil Paaji also tried his hand in cinema. The last time Kapil Dev played a cameo role was in his biopic "83" (2021), where Ranveer Singh played his character.
