"May you continue to inspire millions" - Cricket fraternity extends birthday wishes as Kapil Dev turns 64

The cricket community extended warm wishes to legendary Indian all-rounder Kapil Dev as he turned 64 on January 6. The Haryana cricketer retired from cricket in 1994 after a stellar career, ending with 434 Test wickets, the highest in the world at the time.

Dev is also the youngest captain to win the ODI World Cup, winning it at the age of 24 in 1983. The win gave joy to millions of Indian fans and was also a source of inspiration for many budding cricketers to take up the sport.

Iconic batter Sachin Tendulkar has revealed on many occasions that the 1983 World Cup win by Kapil Dev's Indian team was a major driving force behind him getting into cricket.

On the occasion of Kapil's birthday, Sachin led the way by posting a heartfelt note on Twitter and the cricket community soon joined him.

Here are some of the wishes:

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"If you think Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and 2-3 players will win us the World Cup then that's never going to happen" - Kapil Dev on India's 2023 World Cup chances

Kapil Dev recently highlighted the importance of building a balanced team and advised the team management not to shy away from making tough decisions ahead of the upcoming 2023 ODI World Cup. He also cautioned them not to overly depend on senior statesmen like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma heavy lifting every time.

In a conversation on ABP News, the 1983 World Cup-winning captain said:

"If you want to win the World Cup, the coach, selectors, and team management will have to make some tough decisions. Personal interests will have to take a backseat and they will need to think about the team. If you think Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and two to three players will win us the World Cup then that's never going to happen."

He went on to state that it is imperative to define clear roles for players in the team and added:

"You should believe in your team. Do we have such a team? Definitely. Do we have certain match winners? Yes, of course! We have players who can win the World Cup. You need players who fulfill each of their responsibilities. The youngsters will need to come forward and say 'it is our time."

Do you agree with Kapil Dev's views? Sound off your opinions in the comments section.