The cricket world cup wins in 2024 and 1983

This is going to sound very 'uncle' and ancient. But when the raucous cheering of the guys in our apartment complex split the night air yesterday (29 June 2024) as India won the T20 world cup, it seemed a world away from the 1983 win by 'Kapil's devils'.

True, the cheering was louder then since I was in college then and a college campus is younger and fuller and louder than an apartment complex.

But it was more than that. In 1983, nobody expected India to win. It was a stunning upset by the underdogs against the mighty West Indies. Cricket wasn't this professional and the win seemed more pure. Or maybe it seemed that way because we were all younger then.

Today Indian cricket rules the world with money and TV rights and everything is a little more stage managed in our favour from the scheduling to the venues. The wins are still exciting but not unexpected, and Indian audiences are more entitled and boorish.

And the team and their patrons seem a world away from Kapil's rustic charm and his band of merry men.

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