The 1983 World Cup win remains India’s crème de la crème moment in sports. In the annals of Indian history, the victory at the iconic Lord’s in London transcends boundaries. It etches itself into the very fabric of our nation’s history, such was its significance. It was this World Cup victory that made this nation, battered by partition and post-independence violence, believe in itself and trust its capabilities. Led by young all-rounder Kapil Dev, India beat two-time world champions, the mighty West Indies of Clive Lloyd and Viv Richards, on June 25 by 43 runs.

The team, whom nobody gave a chance, did the unthinkable by beating the invincible West Indies in the final to spark a nationwide celebration. While the victory was a poignant moment for India, it remains an apt example of an underdog triumph.

The final was a tense match. West Indies bowled India out for 183. But when it was expected that it would be a merry chase for West Indies to reach a paltry total, Madan Lal and Mohinder Amarnath pierced through their batting line-up. Madan picked up three wickets, while Amarnath scalped two.

The winning moment came when Kapil Dev caught Michael Holding off the bowling of Amarnath, resulting in a wild celebration.

But what happened on the night of the 1983 World Cup final?

According to senior sports journalist Vijay Lokapally, as discussed on the podcast 2 Sloggers, India dealt with unexpected situations after winning the 1983 World Cup. As the moment of unbridled joy continued till late at night, the newly crowned world champions missed dinner. The restaurants were closed. They had to sate their hunger by eating burgers that they availed of after stepping out.

The team then dealt with another problem as their driver continued driving even though his shift had ended. London police had imposed a cap on the number of hours a driver could drive, so at a checkpoint, the driver was caught violating the rule. The Indian players, trying to resolve the situation, apprised the police officer that they were the world champions and had beaten West Indies in the final. The officer obliged and demanded autographs from the champions but still imposed a fine. It remains unknown how much they had to shell out from their pockets and who paid the fine.

Lokapally also revealed that a few Pakistani cricketers had joined the Indian players celebrating the victory. They hit the pub and celebrated the win. Amidst the joy, Kapil Dev, India’s captain, got a scramble head wondering who would pay the bill. And it remains a mystery who covered the expenses of the night. However, it is widely speculated that a wealthy Indian fan came to the rescue of the world champions.