June 25, 1983. Lord's London. India vs West Indies in the final of the World Cup. At one end were the 2-time World Champions gunning for title No. 3. At the other end were the underdogs of ODI cricket. In fact, not even the most devout Indian fan expected them to make it to the final and yet here they were. Yes, India had pulled off an upset win over West Indies in the group stage but since then the defending champions had demolished all that stood before them, including the Indians in their 2nd clash.?
For all purposes, this World Cup title clash was only a formality. India had surpassed expectations but West Indies were all set to give them a reality check. By the end of the day, the experts, fans and cricket lovers worldwide envisioned West Indies holding a 3rd title on the Lord's balcony.
But history records a different story. When the game ended, it was not the defending champions but the underdogs who were holding the trophy on the balcony. One had to pinch oneself to make sure it was not a dream. India, despite posting a mere 183, had won by 43 runs to pull off the Mother of All Upsets. The mighty West Indians had been brought down to Earth from their high pedestal and the world's best team wilted in the face of determined bowling by the Indians.
But this is not about the glorious moment in Indian cricket. This is about the 11 men who made it happen. Yes, the heroes on that day exactly 40 years back who helped India conquer the world. Four decades on, it is time to take a look at what happened to those 11 heroes of Indian cricket. Let's take a look:? ?
After his retirement, he became a renowned commentator and to this day is a well-known cricket expert.
Was at one point the Chairman of Selectors but not much in the limelight now.?
Occasionally appears on shows to give his expert opinion.?
The former batter passed away back in 2021.?
Coached both India and Kenya later on but is not in the news much nowadays.?
An entrepreneur owning a restaurant and hotel plus shares in some companies though at times does commentary in Hindi.?
After cricket, he moved to politics and was also at one point a member of the Lok Sabha.?
Currently the BCCI President.?
Coached Team India and later tried out in politics and also took some acting assignments.?
Stays away from the glare of the media.?
Coached at the national level but is now not in the public eye.?
Ravi Shastri, Dilip Vengsarkar and Sunil Valson were the 3 players warming the bench during the final. Shastri had played in the group games and Vengsarkar was injured in the game vs West Indies so was no longer an active participant. Valson on the other hand did not play a single game in the tournament, or ever for India for that matter. Vengsarkar ended with a fabulous Test record and later on was also the Chairman of Selectors for the BCCI. Shastri took up a lucrative career in commentary after retiring and later on coached Team India as well. ?