From the moment he stepped out of the car at the Madras Management Association on Thursday evening, everyone was fixated on him. The eyes glittered as people wore a wide grin in awe of their childhood hero and India’s first World Cup winning captain Kapil Dev.
For those from the city, watching him don a black kurta in his typical Punjabi style might have felt a little surprising — Chennai is going through a severe heat wave and it is common to avoid black outfits during summers. However, those thoughts would have been momentary. After all, he is Kapil Dev — the captain who did the unthinkable, who inspired the entire nation to become a cricket-frenzy one, and made them believe they can be the best in the world.
Over the next couple of hours, Kapil graced the venue with his inevitable aura, self-deprecating yet subtle wit, and a humour that made everyone feel like they are part of the joke as he launched Better Never Stops — a book written by former Federal Bank managing director and CEO Shyam Srinivasan. The book offers a glimpse into leadership lessons shaped over more than three decades in banking by Srinivasan. The book, described as part memoir and part guide, focuses on growth, resilience, and self-improvement.
When he addressed the gathering, the former India captain expressed his love for Chennai before insisting on the significance of reading. He felt that in an era of smartphones, it is important to go back to basics and build the habit of reading. “People have forgotten reading. You write a book, what is the point if they can’t read? They don’t have time for it. I think it’s important we should go back and start giving time to the basics... I was thinking, what should I say? I just wanted to say, all of you, try to read two pages. Why am I saying two pages? Because that’s the capability I have to read,” Kapil said, sending the entire room into a laughter.
Though he did not talk much about cricket, the 67-year-old reflected on his mindset while playing and how he played for himself first more than anyone else. “Honestly, I played for myself, but you enjoyed it. That gives me the kick. If somebody says, I played for the nation. No, first, I played for myself. Understand, that is the truth. That is the reality. When I picked up the bat and ball, I never realised that I could play for India. Because I was horrible in the class, I started playing cricket. Football gave me only an hour of escape from the class. Cricket gave me three days and I enjoyed that,” explained Kapil, reflecting on how he was dyslexic as a kid and cricket was his get away. “You don’t have to make anybody happy. When you write a book or write anything, you have to make sure you are honest to yourself,” the former India captain said.
Even after his address to the gathering, Kapil gave time to his fans for autographs and photographs while catching up with some old friends. Surrounded by people from three different generations, he carried himself with the same grace and energy as he did when he lifted the World Cup at the Lord’s balcony 43 years ago.
