1983 Cricket World Cup

The 1983 Cricket World Cup in England was indeed dramatic as it saw the underdogs India beat the world champions West Indies in a fiercely fought final at the Lords on June 26, 1983. Maintaining the format of 60 overs, the 1983 Cricket World Cup in England was also played in white uniforms and with red balls. Eight countries participated. The teams were divided in groups of eight and the top two teams from each group qualified to play the semifinals.

The participating countries were:

Australia · England · India · New Zealand · Pakistan · Sri Lanka · West Indies · Zimbabwe

The biggest surprise of the World Cup was the performance of Zimbabwe and India, who, based on their previous records, weren't even expected to win too many matches! But Zimbabwe defeated Australia and India got the better of West Indies to establish themselves as threats in the tournament. Zimbabwe couldn't continue with their good show right till the end, but India did and snatched the title of World Champions from the mighty West Indies who were on their way to a third consecutive victory. India, led by Kapil Dev stopped them, thereby becoming the winners on the 1983 Cricket World Cup in England. Mohinder Amarnath was adjourned the man of the match. Fans and enthusiasts from the world over watched the tournament. For those who didn't get to watch the matches in the stadiums, the tournament was widely covered by the media and televised around the world. Prudential was the sponsor of the 1983 Cricket World Cup and so the tournament is also referred to as the Prudential Cup.