The 1983 World Cup-winning team just received a terrific welcome and felicitation in Singapore. The visit, facilitated by the Mariners Club, gave the team, who are not getting any younger and, by the looks of some, not getting any older either, a chance to see the passion for cricket in Singapore. At the Singapore Indian Association ground, there were so many young kids that, if the Singapore Cricket Association takes its mandate of developing cricket in the island nation seriously, a good team could emerge in the not-too-distant future. Not just the boys but the girls too were impressive, and the competitiveness was most refreshing. Cricket is not the main sport there, and so a real effort needs to be made to tap into this enthusiasm and develop the game at the grassroots level. While neighbouring Malaysia has seemingly made better progress in the game, Singapore is still to catch up, despite having administrators at the highest echelons of the ICC.
The Mariners, who hosted the team, went out of their way to look after us, and big thanks to Abhijit Dutta, Rajan Mathur and Subir Ghatak, to name just three of the many Mariners who made untiring efforts to cater to the team’s every need. Also, a big sorry to all the kids who came there and couldn’t get autographs or photographs because the tournament’s prize distribution was going on and so we couldn’t step off the stage. We were simply overwhelmed by the reception and the affection shown at the ground as well as at the gala dinner the previous evening. To have this kind of affection more than 43 years after the team made history is a blessing, pure and simple.
I mentioned this event simply to underscore how that win changed the outlook not only of Indian cricket, its players and its administrators, but also of the rest of the cricketing world towards Indian cricket. There was a newfound confidence to look everybody in the eye and a spring in the step towards more glory in the future. If Indian cricket rules the world today, much to the chagrin of the old powers, the seed for that was sown by that incredible win in 1983.
Today, the IPL has shown the world what a well-organised tournament can do. The fruits of that success have spurred Indian franchise owners to venture into other countries and lift those countries’ cricketing ecosystems to a higher level than might otherwise have been possible.
This is being written just a few days before India starts its campaign to try and qualify for the ICC World Test Championship Final. The two-match series in Sri Lanka won’t be easy, as Sri Lanka at home are a formidable team. Winning both these Tests would be a good start to the new Test season, as well as give the team the impetus it needs to qualify for the WTC Final. To be able to do so requires loads of effort and also some luck but, above all, the belief that Indian cricket should be the priority and not any individual, however big a name he may be.
This column can’t end without congratulating our athletes for their terrific performances in the Commonwealth Games. They did the country proud with the medals they brought home. Some missed the gold by a whisker, some missed the bronze by a hair’s breadth. Yet they had the country riveted, and the many youngsters watching them will be inspired to go on and do the same in the near future.
Well done, you all. More power for more medals in the future too.
Published on Aug 12, 2026
