Why Kapil Dev's Historic Innings Vs Zimbabwe In 1983 World Cup Was Not Recorded?

Forty years ago on this very day, Inalan captain Kapil Dev etched his name in cricket history with a legendary performance. Leading the Indian side for the first time in the ODI World Cup, the 24-year-old Kapil played an unforgettable knock against Zimbabwe at the Nevill Ground in Tunbridge Wells. In a must-win match to keep India's World Cup dreams alive, the team found itself in dire straits, losing their top five batsmen with a mere 17 runs on the board.

Kapil Dev and 8__3__
__Became the youngest ever captain to win world cup_ at 1983.
__Indian team put forward a total of 183 at that final v/s mighty Westindies.
__His best figure in a test innings is
9/83.
__His height- 183 cm
__His biopic movie- 1983
__His odi runs- 3783 pic.twitter.com/Lk6oA9bgFs

— Amal Sudhakaran (@amal_sachinism) July 30, 2020

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Enter Kapil Dev at number six. Against all odds, he defied expectations and single-handedly turned the tide in India's favor. With sheer determination and skill, Kapil unleashed an astonishing innings, smashing an unbeaten 175 runs off just 138 balls. This not only set a world record at the time but also revived India's hopes of lifting the coveted World Cup trophy.

Regrettably, there is no footage available to witness the magnificence of that innings. The reason behind this absence is not, as some claim, a BBC strike. In truth, four matches took place that day: West Indies versus Australia at Lord's, England against Pakistan at Old Trafford in Manchester, New Zealand versus Sri Lanka at the County Ground in Derby, and India versus Zimbabwe in Tunbridge Wells.

Among these fixtures, India's match was deemed the least significant due to their performance in the previous games. The BBC, the sole broadcaster, chose to cover the first two matches live and recorded highlights for the other game. Unfortunately, the match in Tunbridge Wells received no coverage, not even a single camera, as it was deemed unworthy of attention. Consequently, the only witnesses to Kapil's iconic inning are those fortunate enough to have been present at the ground that day.