The Haryana Hurricane
Great players never fade away. The memory of their deeds remain as fresh as fallen dew. On the cricket firmament they can stir the hearts of their countrymen with a single shot or an unplayable delivery. Such giants of the sport are rare indeed.

India was lucky to be blessed with one such player in Kapil Dev Ramlal Nikhanj. Even now the mere mention of his name brings a smile to the connoisseurs of the game.

Born in a timber merchant's family on January 6, 1959, little in his early life would have prepared him for the path he chose.He did not have a cricketing lineage, but was blessed with a fierce determination, which became the hallmark of his distinguished career.

"I wanted to bowl fast because every one talked of India not having a quick bowler. As time went on, I learnt and improved. With every season my ambitions grew and I thank God for helping me achieve my dreams," Kapil had said at the fag end of his career.

From the unpromising beginnings of claiming seven Pakistani wickets in his first three Tests in 1978, Kapil was soon into his stride, taking 22 wickets against the 1979 Australians, and then 32 against Pakistan -- all on supposedly unhelpful home pitches.

Aged 21 years and 27 days, he became the youngest player to complete the double of 1,000 runs and 100 wickets, a feat he repeated at 2,000 and 200.

His batting style was unorthodox, but effective. In an era when the power batters were yet to arrive on the Indian scene, and the straight bat of Sunil Gavaskar and the classy late cuts of G R Vishwanath ruled the roost, Kapil Dev was a refreshing change. If the ball was there to be hit, he hit it.

A famous incident: in 1990, he was at the crease along with Narendra Hirwani, with India requiring 24 runs to save the follow-on against England at Lord's, and four balls of an Eddie Hemmings's over remaining.He hit those four balls for four sixes. Follow-on averted. In the next over Hirwani was out leg before, first ball.

Indeed, one-day cricket was a perfect platform for the 'Huryana Hurricane' to showcase his talents. Whether it was with bat or ball, he had the ability to alter the course of a match. His batting, all power and timing, was perfectly moulded to the rigours of the instant version of the game.

But his bowling suffered as a result. The tough parameters that the shorter version demanded saw him work towards accuracy. In the process, his best weapon, the late outswinger lost its sting.

Kapil's most important achievement is, undoubtedly, his legacy.Before he arrived on the domestic scene, India had precious few fast bowlers. In the land of spin, the land of the dust-bowls, few reckoned India would ever produce a fast bowler, let alone one of the world's best.

Today, in Javagal Srinath, Zaheer Khan, Ajit Agarkar, Ashish Nehra and a host of up and coming teenagers, India can boast of one of the best pace arsenals in the world.

Kapil's greatest triumph will not be his 434 wickets, nor will it be his swahbucking 175 not out against Zimbabwe in the World Cup of 1983. Nor will it be his amazing longevity. In fact, nothing will match his feat of leading the Indian team to victory in the Prudential World Cup.

He will always be remembered as the man who led India into a new era, in which cricket is more than just another game.

Kapil's career statistics:
Tests
131 matches, 5,248 runs (8 centuries) , 434 wickets.

ODIs
225 matches, 3,728 runs (1 century) , 253 wickets.