Guest bio
- Known as the Haryana Hurricane, he captained India to its first Cricket World Cup win in 1983, beating the West Indies at Lord's.
- Took 434 Test wickets, then a world record, and is the only player to combine 5,000 runs and 400 wickets in Tests.
- Has since been India's coach and President of the Professional Golf Tour of India, and is in the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.
Kapil Dev, born Kapil Dev Ramlal Nikhanj in Chandigarh in 1959 and known as the Haryana Hurricane, captained India to its first Cricket World Cup win in 1983, beating the West Indies at Lord's. A fast-bowling all-rounder in an era known for spinners, he played 131 Tests and 225 one-day internationals over 16 years without missing a Test through injury or fitness. He finished with 434 Test wickets, then a world record, and 5,248 Test runs, the only player to combine 5,000 runs and 400 wickets in Tests. His unbeaten 175 against Zimbabwe in 1983 rescued India from 17 for 5. He was never run out in 124 Test innings, and in 1990 he hit four consecutive sixes at Lord's. He has since been India's coach, a commentator and author, and President of the Professional Golf Tour of India, and is in the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.
Show notes
In this XTRA edition of Money Majlis, the conversation steps out of the boardroom and into the dressing room with one of the most iconic leaders world sport has ever produced, Kapil Dev. From Chandigarh’s dusty grounds to lifting the 1983 World Cup at Lord’s, Kapil Dev’s story is not just about runs and wickets, but about belief, resilience and courage. Across this episode, host Suvo Sarkar explores how a fast-bowling all rounder, who never missed a single Test due to injury over 16 years, built his engine, his mindset and his leadership philosophy.
Kapil Dev reflects on his almost accidental entry into cricket, the early days of being dismissed as “just another boy from North India,” and how the desire to prove doubters wrong quietly became fuel rather than baggage. He shares the inside story of that famous debut in Faisalabad, when Pakistani openers first realised an Indian bowler could really bowl bouncers, and of the disciplinary dropping in 1984 that taught him hard lessons about responsibility, ego and learning to blame himself before anyone else.
This XTRA episode relives some of cricket’s most unforgettable moments through the man at the centre of them. Kapil breaks down what truly went through his mind at 17 for 5 against Zimbabwe in the 1983 World Cup, why he felt “pleasure, not pressure” that day, and how his natural game of attacking cricket turned a hopeless position into one of the greatest counter attacks in history. He talks us through that famous backwards sprint to catch Viv Richards at Lord’s, why he rates the dismissal of Clive Lloyd as even more pivotal, and what it really meant to go past Sir Richard Hadlee’s world record with 434 Test wickets.
But this is much more than a nostalgia trip. Kapil offers candid views on today’s multi billion dollar cricket economy, player workloads, and the mental toll of social media scrutiny on modern stars. He explains why he has no regrets about missing the IPL era, why Test cricket must be protected even if it means sacrificing some commercial upside, and how sports science, data and analytics have changed both expectations and excuses. The discussion also covers India’s growing ambitions across global sport, from badminton and boxing to javelin, and why real results will come only when parents, infrastructure and policy all change together.
Leadership lessons flow throughout: the joint family model of captaincy, where “we” always trumps “me”; the importance of spending more time with the team mate who scored zero than the one who scored a hundred; and the humility to apologise to your own dressing room when you get it wrong. Kapil also speaks about his second innings as President of the Professional Golf Tour of India, what golf has taught him about concentration and self belief, and why playing for a team - in sport or business - is the best antidote to selfishness.
Whether you are a CEO, a young professional or simply someone who loves a great human story, this episode is a masterclass in staying grounded while playing at the very top.
This episode was made possible by the kind courtesy of Dhruv Verma, the founder & CEO of Thriwe.
To join the Money Majlis giving movement, and get your complimentary GiveCard, please visit www.moneymajlis.com.
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