Story Of How 'Champion Of Champions' Ravi Shastri Won An Audi Back In 1985

Ravi Shastri was in an impeccable form both with the bat & ball in the Benson & Hedges World Championship of Cricket.

Former Indian World cup-winning captain and former head coach of the Indian Cricket Team, Ravi Shastri proved himself to be a champion in the Benson & Hedges World Championship of Cricket in 1984/85. The all-rounder displayed tremendous performance with the bat & ball and ended up as the third-highest run-scorer as well as wicket-taker of the series.  

The Benson & Hedges World Championship of Cricket was a part of the celebrations of the 150th anniversary of European settlement in the Australian state of Victoria. Back then, seven teams played test cricket and all of them were a part of the tournament at Melbourne Cricket Ground and Sydney Cricket Ground. The tournament was historic as it witnessed the first matches played under light at the MCG. 

The seven teams were divided into two groups - India, Pakistan, Australia and England were in group A while West Indies, New Zealand and Sri Lanka were in group B where the teams played a round-robin format. In the end, India defeated Pakistan in the finals to win the tournament. 

Indians were undefeated throughout the tournament, winning all three of their group matches - Pakistan, Australia and England. India went on to defeat New Zealand in the semi-final and Pakistan in the finals. 

Ravi Shastri was in an impeccable form both with the bat & ball. He was the third-highest wicket-taker for the Indian team with 8 wickets to his name in 50 overs, with 5 maidens. With the bat, the all-rounder scored 182 runs in 5 matches with an average of 45.50 with three fifties to his name. 

The player was voted as the 'The Champion of Champions' and was awarded an Audi 100 sedan. Shashtri considered it as an 'unforgettable moment with a high recall value'. Shastri recalled the incident when then Indian PM Rajiv Gandhi gave a special order and Indian customs waived the heavy import duty on the car. 

In a recent car launch, Shastri narrated the story, '“I still get goosebumps when I think about the moment," Shastri said.

“I was being interviewed during the presentation ceremony when I suddenly heard a roar from the crowd and turned back to see that the entire team was sitting on my car. I stopped the interview in between and asked for the keys. I immediately took the wheel and saw that there was enough fuel for a small drive. I then took a victory lap with the entire team sitting in the car. It's a memory that will stay with me forever."

Shastri revealed the car is still in excellent condition and the former Indian player takes it out for a drive every Sunday whenever he's in Mumbai. “The car is one of my prized possessions and it reminds me of one of the most glorious moments of my life," Shastri said.