Former India captain Kapil Dev has claimed that he was not invited to the World Cup final between India and Australia. Kapil, who led India to their first-ever ODI World Cup title in 1983, expressed his disappointment at not being invited to the prestigious match and said that he wanted the entire ’83 team to be present with him.
“I wasn’t invited there. They didn’t call me, so I did not go. As simple as that. I wanted the whole ’83 team to be there with me, but I guess due to the fact that it’s such a big event and people are so busy handling responsibilities, sometimes they forget,” Kapil told ABP News.
The absence of Kapil Dev, one of India’s greatest cricketers, from the World Cup final raised eyebrows and led to discussions on social media. A Twitter user shared a post with the caption “Kapil Dev Not invited to World Cup Finals” along with hashtags related to the event.
While Kapil was not invited, other former India captains such as Sourav Ganguly were present at the Narendra Modi Stadium. Ganguly was invited in his capacity as a former BCCI president, as inviting past presidents and officials is a norm followed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
Apart from the former captains, several celebrities including actors Shahrukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, and Ranveer Singh were in attendance for the high-profile match. Badminton legend Prakash Padukone was also seen sitting in the stands.
In the final, Virat Kohli and KL Rahul played gritty half-centuries to help India reach a total of 240 against Australia. Australia, who are five-time champions, chose to bat first but faced disciplined bowling and superb fielding from the Indian players. The match was held at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium.
Kapil Dev’s absence from the World Cup final has raised questions about the organization and management of the event. It remains to be seen if any explanation or clarification will be provided regarding his exclusion.
(Note: This news article is based on a syndicated feed and has not been edited by NDTV staff, except for the headline)
