India vs Australia – “Wasn’t invited for World Cup 2023 final,” claims Kapil Dev

PTI, Nov 20, 2023, 9:10 AM IST

Former India captain Kapil Dev on Sunday claimed that he was not invited to the World Cup final between the hosts and Australia here. Kapil, who led India to their maiden ODI World Cup title in 1983, said he wanted to travel for the game with the rest of his teammates.

“I wasn’t invited there. They didn’t call me so I did not go. As simple as that. I wanted the whole ’83 team to be there with me but I guess due to the fact that it’s such a big event and people are so busy handling responsibilities, sometimes they forget,” Kapil told ABP News.

Among other former India captains who were present at the Narendra Modi Stadium were Sourav Ganguly, who was invited in the capacity of a former BCCI president. Inviting past presidents and officials is a BCCI norm.

The other celebrities who were in attendance for the high profile game were actors Shahrukh Khan, Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh. Badminton great Prakash Padukone was also seen sitting in the stands.

In the final, Virat Kohli and KL Rahul’s gritty half-centuries powered India to 240 against Australia in the ICC World Cup 2023 final at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday.

The five-time champions Australia chose to bat first, and the players backed up skipper Pat Cummins’ choice with disciplined bowling and superb fielding in front of a sea of blue jerseys from India.

After skipper Rohit Sharma’s attacking 47, Virat Kohli and KL Rahul scored 54 and 66, respectively, but the ball dominated the bat on a sluggish, dry pitch.