ICC ODI World Cup: The 25th of June 1983 holds a special place in the memories of Indian cricket enthusiasts. This marked the historic occasion when India secured their inaugural World Cup victory by triumphing over the formidable West Indies in the final match. This momentous day remains a special part of Indian cricket history, providing a wellspring of inspiration for successive generations of the nation’s cricketers. The victory was celebrated nationwide and not just this, the then-PM Indira Gandhi also declared a public holiday on next day for marking the ocassion.
Lata Mangeshkar rescues BCCI
Upon the triumphant return of the Indian cricket team, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) needed to reward the players for their achievement. However, during that period in 1983, the BCCI faced financial constraints, making it difficult to gather the necessary funds for such rewards. In response, the then BCCI president, NKP Salve, reached out to the renowned singer Lata Mangeshkar for help.
Through an organized concert in Delhi, Lata Mangeshkar‘s immense popularity enabled the rapid collection of INR 20,00,000. This swift response sweetened the taste of the epic World Cup victory for Kapil Dev and his team.
Indira Gandhi declares Public Holiday
During the closing stages of the World Cup final, former Indian wicketkeeper Farokh Engineer found himself in an intriguing incident while providing commentary for the match on BBC Radio. In conversation with his co-commentator Brian Johnston, Engineer mentioned that the then Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi, was undoubtedly keeping an eye on the game. Johnston inquired whether she might announce a public holiday if India emerged victorious. Engineer confidently responded that he had no doubt she would take that step.
He said, “And within five minutes we got a phone call at our BBC headquarters (in London) from the (Indian) Central Cabinet and the phone call was relayed on to the commentators’ box at Lord’s cricket ground that Mrs Gandhi has in fact heard your comments and declared a public holiday. It was frightening to sort of hear that, but it was a great occasion, a momentous occasion for Indian cricket.”
In a sequence of unprecedented events, the Prime Minister promptly announced a public holiday in the aftermath of India’s victory.
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