New Delhi, (Samajweekly) Cricket icon Kapil Dev found a unique way to kill rumours about his death that floated in social media on Monday by recording a video for promotion of his upcoming interaction with a private bank.
Kapil recorded a 21-second video in which he looks hale and hearty.
India’s first World Cup-winning captain had undergone a successful emergency coronary angioplasty on October 23 and was discharged from Fortis-Escorts Heart Institute Hospital, New Delhi, two days later on October 25.
Earlier on Monday, social media was abuzz with a rumour that Kapil, 61, was readmitted to the hospital and some even went to the extent of saying that he had passed away.
Later in the day, Kapil, wearing a matching purple coat and trousers, recorded the video.
“Hi, I am Kapil Dev and I am going to share my story with the Barclays family on 11th of November – some cricketing stories, some memories. [A] festival season is on. So, get ready on the 11th [for] your question-answer [session], and we can have a great time. Enjoy yourself and have a great time,” said a beaming Kapil.
Sources close to Kapil were angry and flayed people who started the rumour about his ill-health and death.
“There are negative people all around. Hit the fake news [hard]. This video was made on Monday, after the rumours floated about him. The interaction with the bank will be online,” one of them told IANS.
Kapil had checked in at Fortis Escorts Heart Institute’s emergency department on the night of October 23-24 with a complaint of chest pain. He was evaluated and an emergency coronary angioplasty was performed by Dr. Atul Mathur, Director of Cardiology Department, in the middle of night.
Angioplasty is a procedure to restore blood flow through the artery.
Kapil once held the world Test record for most wickets — 434. He held the world record for over six years, until it was broken by West Indian fast bowler Courtney Walsh. Kapil retired from the game in 1994.
Kapil had also led India to the Wold Cup triumph in 1983, when India were considered weak in limited-overs cricket.
In an illustrious international career that lasted 16 years, from 1978 and 1994, Kapil captured 434 wickets and scored 5,248 runs in 131 Tests and bagged 253 wickets and made 3,783 runs in 225 One-day Internationals.
Apart from leading India to the unexpected World Cup glory in 1983, Kapil led India to the 1985 four-nation Rothmans Cup in Sharjah Cup. He was best known for his potent outswinger delivery that accounted for many batting stalwarts.
Kapil has almost all the top sports and civil awards in India. In 1979-80, the Indian government presented him the Arjuna Award, Padma Shri in 1982, and Padma Bhushan in 1991.
The International Cricket Council inducted him in its Hall of Fame in 2010 while the Board of Control for Cricket in India honoured him with its highest accolade, the CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement award in 2013. Wisden, considered the final word on cricket, picked him among its Five Cricketers of the Year in 1983 and in 2002 chose him as the Indian Cricketer of the 20th Century in a one-off award.
