1983 World Cup winner Yashpal Sharma dies of cardiac arrest

Yashpal had made his debut for India in 1978 against Pakistan in Sialkot.

New Delhi: India’s 1983 World Cup hero Yashpal Sharma, who was admired for being a gutsy middle-order batsman at the peak of his prowess, died on Tuesday after suffering a massive cardiac arrest here.

He was 66 and is survived by his wife, two daughters and a son.

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Yashpal collapsed at home after returning from his morning walk here. He was cremated at the Lodhi Road crematorium with his former teammate Kirti Azad among those in attendance.
In his international career, Yashpal played 37 Tests, scoring 1606 runs, and 42 ODIs in which he made 883. He also picked up one wicket each in the two formats to his credit.

He was known for his gutsy attitude and his stroke-filled half century in the semifinal against England in the 1983 campaign at the Old Trafford will forever be etched in the public memory.
Former India captain Dilip Vengsarkar expressed shock at his teammate’s demise. The 1983 squad had met on the sidelines of a book launch here couple of weeks ago.

“It is unbelievable. He was the fittest among all of us. I had asked him that day when we met how about his routine. He was a vegetarian, teetotaler, used to have soup for his dinner and very particular about his morning walks. I am just shocked,” Vengsarkar said.

Yashpal was also a national selector in early 2000s and was part of the panel which gave M S Dhoni his maiden India call-up in 2004. He was also part of the selection panel that picked the triumphant 2011 World Cup squad under Dhoni’s leadership. So, from being a part of a World Cup winning to picking one that also won the trophy, Yashpal had seen it all.

“He was very fair as a selector and of course he was a great player. My condolences to his family,” said former BCCI president N Srinivasan.

In Ranji Trophy, where he represented three teams — Punjab, Haryana and Railways –, Yashpal played 160 matches amassing 8,933 runs which included 21 centuries with a highest score of 201 not out.

He was an umpire too and stood in a couple of women’s ODIs. The multi-faceted former player also served as coach of the Uttar Pradesh Ranji team.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was among those who condoled his demise.

“Shri Yashpal Sharma Ji was a much beloved member of the Indian cricket team, including the legendary 1983 squad. He was an inspiration for teammates, fans as well as budding cricketers. Anguished by his passing away,” Modi tweeted.

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