1983 Cricket World Cup triumph gave the nation a renewed confidence: Malini Parthasarathy

Malini Parthasarathy, Chair of the Hindu Group of Publications (Pvt. Ltd), stated that India’s epic triumph at the 1983 Cricket World Cup gave the nation a renewed confidence.

The defeatist mindset that prevailed in the country at the time was erased with this win, Malini said Monday at the 2023 Sportstar Aces Awards at the Taj Mahal Palace here.

On the 40th anniversary of the famous victory, Kapil Dev and members of his team were honored at the awards ceremony here.

“India won another Cricket World Cup in 2011 but 1983 remains the game that is forever etched in all our minds and hearts. Why so? Because it was the first time that an Indian team has actually tasted the sweet taste of the world number one. It has also boosted our collective self-esteem and given us real confidence that India could be a key player in the big game and that we are on our way to becoming a great sporting power,” said Malini.

“This victory changed India’s sporting destiny and our national life forever. Until then, as a country, we were defeatist, reticent about our athletic ability and coy about our approaches in the global arena. When Kapil Dev and his amazing team won, the entire cricket world was stunned and in disbelief,” said Malini.

“A new generation of cricket greats like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Virat Kohli were inspired by this magnificent epic win,” said Malini.