Discover 6 rare and surprising cricket records held by Kapil Dev, showcasing his incredible achievements in the sport. Kapil Dev is one of the best all-rounders in cricket history and a key player who won many matches for India. He made his debut in 1978 and became the first Indian captain to win a World Cup, followed later by MS Dhoni.
Kapil played for India from 1978 to 1994, appearing in 131 Tests, where he took 434 wickets and scored 5248 runs, including 8 centuries. In 225 ODIs, he scored 3783 runs and took 253 wickets. While Kapil broke and made many records, some of his achievements are lesser-known but still very impressive.
6. First Indian batsman to hit an ODI century:
Kapil Dev scored just one ODI century in his career, but it was a special one. He was the first Indian to score a hundred in 50-over cricket. It happened in a crucial match against Zimbabwe during the 1983 World Cup. When Kapil came to bat, India was struggling at 17/5. He played an incredible innings, scoring 175 runs from 138 balls and helping India reach 266/8. India went on to win the match by 31 runs. This century is considered one of the best by an Indian in ODI cricket.
5. Highest wicket-taker in test cricket at one time – 434 wickets – From 30 January, 1994 to 27 March, 2000:
Kapil Dev retired in 1994 with 434 wickets in 131 Test matches, making him the world’s highest wicket-taker at that time. He surpassed New Zealand’s Richard Hadlee, who had retired in 1990 with 431 wickets. Kapil held the record until 2000, when Courtney Walsh broke it.
4. Fastest test 100 by an Indian batsman – 74 Balls vs Sri Lanka, Kanpur, 1986:
Kapil Dev holds the record for the fastest Test century by an Indian batsman. He scored a 74-ball hundred against Sri Lanka in 1986 in Kanpur. In that innings, he made 163 runs, which was his highest score in Test cricket. The match ended in a draw.
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3. Best bowling figures as a captain in an innings in test cricket – 9/83 vs WI, 1983:
Kapil Dev holds the record for the best bowling figures in a Test innings by a captain. Even though it came in a losing effort, the record remains unbroken. He took 9 wickets for 83 runs in the second innings against the West Indies in Ahmedabad, helping dismiss them for 201. However, West Indies won the match by 138 runs.
2. Only cricketer to score 5000+ runs and take 400+ wickets in International cricket:
Kapil Dev is considered one of India’s greatest all-rounders and one of the best in the world. He played 131 Test matches, taking 434 wickets with an average of 29.64, including 23 five-wicket hauls. With the bat, he scored 5248 runs, hitting 8 centuries and 27 half-centuries. Kapil Dev is the only cricketer in Test history to achieve both 400+ wickets and 5000+ runs.
1. Youngest captain ever to win ICC Cricket World Cup:
West Indies won the first two ICC World Cups in 1975 and 1979. In 1983, India became the second team to win the title, beating West Indies in the final under Kapil Dev’s captaincy. Kapil led the team at just 24 years and 170 days, making him the youngest captain to win a World Cup. Ricky Ponting is the second youngest captain to win the trophy, achieving it at 28 years and 94 days during the 2003 World Cup.