Here's how Indian Cricket Board talked Kapil Dev into taking an early retirement

Former Indian legend Kapil Dev set the foundation for cricket to become the biggest sport in India. With his immense courage and never-give-up attitude, he led the underdog Indian tea, to their first World Cup win in 1983. Dev has made the greatest contribution to Indian cricket. He was not only a top-tier all-arounder but also an ideal leader who elevated Indian cricket to a global standard.

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The legendary all-rounder held the record for most Test cricket wickets taken when he retired. He surpassed Richard Hadlee of New Zealand with 434 scalps. In addition to the over 9,000 runs that he scored at the highest level, he also claimed 687 wickets across all formats.

The former captain had, like the majority of players, lost his shine toward the end of his career. The Indian cricket board kept him in the team despite this because they thought he could beat Hadlee's world record. The BCCI had hoped that the all-rounder would retire after reaching the milestone and end his career.

However, that was not the case when he set the world record. Dev shocked the BCCI hierarchy when he declared during the press conference that he wanted to continue playing for two more years. The BCCI secretary at the time, Jagmohan Dalmiya, and the chief selector, Gundappa Vishwanath, were unable to confront him. It was decided to request Kapil Dev's retirement. The task was given to Vishwanath and one of the selectors, Anshuman Gaekwad.

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 I told Kapil: ‘Kaps, we need to talk to you'- Anshuman Gaekwad

In a recent interview with mid-day, Gaekwad disclosed how the chief selector was apprehensive, so he took it upon himself to convey the board's message to the World Cup-winning captain. "Vishy (Vishwanath) wasn't a forthright guy, who would tell you that you were doing something wrong on your face. He would go round and round while talking to someone," he said.

“So, I took the initiative. I told Kapil: ‘Kaps, we need to talk to you. The selectors feel that you need to quit now, and you also know it. We will give you a farewell game as per your choice, but you've got to call it a day.’”

“Kapil reacted very nicely and said: ‘Thank you very much. I really appreciate what you told me’. One has to do these kinds of things at times, which I did,” Gaikwad added.