The Indian team led by Kapil Dev lifted the first-ever ODI World Cup trophy on this day forty years ago. On June 25, 1983, a historic moment occurred in the world of cricket that changed the sport forever. It is true that Indian cricket, and indeed world cricket, would not be where it is today if India had not won the third edition of the Cricket World Cup. 1983 was the year cricket replaced hockey as the country’s unofficial national sport. 14 people who went to England to make history, not knowing they would return with a Cup. Several team members had booked holiday tickets just after the first round of the tournament because they knew they would not qualify for the next stage of a tournament which includes teams like England, Australia and possibly the West Indies.

#Today in 1983, a triumphant moment for India _

Kapil Dev leads them first @cricketworldcup victory by 43 points victory over the West Indies in the final _ pic.twitter.com/u3oewIaJnX—ICC (@ICC) June 25, 2021

But plans changed and they changed as India, despite losing three of four legs, stepped up their game, reaching the final and beating the world champions in the best game to lift the trophy. The visual of Kapil lifting the trophy can send chills to a billion Indians even today. Even for those who weren’t even born at the time.

Meet PR Man Singh, the honest butler of Indian cricket

Of course, there are 14 heroes who worked hard to bring the Cup to India. But there is an unexpected hero, who must be praised and praised. This is PR Man Singh, a former cricketer, who wore several hats in 1983, during this tournament. Man Singh, also known as ‘Man Sahab’ in the Indian cricket lane, is everything for Team India. He was part of the selection panel that chose the squad for the World Cup and made Kapil the team leader for the big event. He is also the manager of the Indian team. Ravi Shastri, a member of his World Cup winning team, calls it ‘the one man army’. From collecting cricket kits on the board and booking tickets to hailing taxis and arranging meals in England, Man Singh does it all. And all on a very small budget. Remember that wealth comes later. It was a tough time, financially.

Man Singh has long retired from the sport, but he remains a stalwart servant of Indian cricket. In the film 83 directed by Kabir Khan, which chronicles the journey of the Indian team in the tournament, Man Singh can be seen as a hardworking and honest manager of the Indian cricket team. He is also a person who believes more in the team than in the players. He had great confidence in Kapil the captain and that’s why he recommended him as captain for this tournament. Man Singh has also been a coach on occasion and a mentor on other occasions. He became a bridge between the players in the tournament and ensured that player issues were resolved immediately so that the team’s performance on the pitch was not affected.

When Man Singh made a journalist “eat his words”

Man Singh knew the difficulties of being a cricketer at that time and that’s why he worked hard to make things as easy as possible for cricketers. He was a former cricketer himself who played several top class matches for Hyderabad between 1965 and 1969. He then moved into administration and his first stint as manager of the Indian cricket team was in 1978 when India toured Pakistan.

Man Singh wasn’t on the pitch during the World Cup but his hard work behind the scenes put the players at ease. He also shared a great story of how he got a reporter to “eat his words.” Literally. David Firth of Wisden had predicted that India would not win the Cup. In one of his posts, he wrote that he would “eat his words” if they won. When they did, Man Singh wrote him a letter, asking, “Now what have you to say, Mr. David?”.

In the September issue of Wisden, a photo was published in which David is seen with a piece of paper in his mouth. He wrote: “India made me eat my words”.