Yashpal Sharma, Kapil Dev's go-to man in 1983 World Cup, passes away
Former Indian cricketer Yashpal Sharma
Former Indian cricketer Yashpal Sharma passed away on Tuesday after suffering cardiac arrest at his home in Noida.
Yashpal was a part of the Indian team that won the 1983 World Cup. He was then-captain Kapil Dev's crisis man throughout the tournament, scoring 240 runs in eight innings. He was India's second-highest run-scorer in the World Cup after Kapil Dev, who finished with 303 runs in eight games.
He was a reliable member in the middle-order for Team India from 1979 to 1983. He was a gutsy batsman but determined at the same time and had a solid defense. A resolute batter from Haryana, Yashpal made his debut for the Indian team in 1978 in a One-Day International (ODI) against Pakistan in Sialkot. The right-handed batsman may not have been a delight to watch but his contribution in India's 1983 successful World Cup campaign will always be remembered.
India's opening match in the 1983 World Cup was against West Indies, who were two-time defending champions. Batting first at Old Trafford, Manchester, India put up 262 for 8 in 60 overs, courtesy of Yashpal's 89 off 120 balls. He went on to win the Player of the Match as India defeated the Windies by 34 runs, handing the opponents their first-ever defeat in a World Cup match.
Yashpal, whose international career lasted for seven years, finished with 1,606 runs in 37 Tests at 33.45 and 883 runs in 42 ODIs at 22.48. While he scored four half-centuries in the ODIs, he did not register a hundred. However, he had two centuries to his name in Test cricket along with nine fifties.
Many current and former cricketers reacted to the demise of Yashpal on Tuesday on social media.
Legendary Sachin Tendulkar paid tribute to the former World Cup winner on Twitter. "Shocked and deeply pained by the demise of Yashpal Sharma ji. Have fond memories of watching him bat during the 1983 World Cup. His contribution to Indian cricket shall always be remembered. My sincere condolences to the entire Sharma family," tweeted Tendulkar.
Here's how Twitter reacted to Yashpal Sharma's passing away: