Kapil Dev with the Hall of Fame cap on Tuesday

Calcutta: Former India captain Kapil Dev has been inducted into the prestigious ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in a ceremony held at its headquarters in Dubai. According to a media release, a commemorative cap was presented to Kapil by ICC president David Morgan, in front of fellow Hall of Famer Clive Lloyd, as well as an audience of ICC officials and other invited guests.

Best known for leading India to a historic World Cup triumph in 1983, Kapil took 434 Test wickets and 253 ODI wickets. Apart from that he scored 5,248 Test and 3,783 ODI runs. On his induction into the Hall of Fame, Kapil said: “I am proud and happy to have been inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame and it’s amazing to think that I have been picked as one of the greats of Indian cricket.

“I am delighted to have been named alongside so many great players of the game but for me, when I was growing up, the man I always looked up to was Sunil Gavaskar. Now to be named also alongside Clive Lloyd, Richard Hadlee and Wasim Akram, it is truly fantastic,” he said.

ICC President David Morgan, who presented Kapil with his hand-crafted Hall of Fame cap at the ceremony at ICC headquarters in Dubai, was glowing in his praise for the latest inductee. “Kapil was an all-time great player,” said Morgan. “He did everything. He batted, bowled and he was a fine fielder. I remember the great catch he took to dismiss Vivian Richards in the 1983 World Cup final — he was on the run and the ball came over his shoulder, possibly the most difficult of catches. It gives me enormous pleasure to award this commemorative cap to Kapil Dev and formally induct him into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame,” he added.

Lloyd, who was in attendance at the cap presentation, played against Kapil in the 1983 ICC Cricket World Cup final: “Kapil is a thoroughly deserving induction into the Hall of Fame. He was a fantastic cricketer and he was a great asset for Indian cricket during his time at the helm. He set the pace for them early on and he came to the fore and did wonderfully well – he played like a true champion and was a brilliant leader.”

Fellow Indian members of the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame, Bishan Bedi and Sunil Gavaskar, will also be inducted in due course.