When Titans Clashed: Kapil Dev vs Sunil Gavaskar And The BCCI’s Intervention

Kapil Dev-Sunil Gavaskar Controversy Fight Kolkata Test (Image Source: Google)

Cricket Tales: In the modern era of Indian cricket, Kapil Dev and Sunil Gavaskar stand out as two of the game's most iconic figures. Gavaskar, known for his classical batting technique, was the epitome of a pure batsman, while Kapil Dev, a genuine fast bowler who evolved into a world-class all-rounder, brought a new dimension to Indian cricket.

Look through any list of infamous player feuds, and you’re unlikely to find a mention of a Kapil-Gavaskar conflict. Yet, a clash did exist—one that involved no abuse, no physical altercation, and no official reprimands. It was a silent rivalry, simmering beneath the surface for years.

Today, Sunil Gavaskar openly praises Kapil Dev as a jewel of Indian cricket, while Kapil holds Gavaskar in the highest regard, believing he should have remained India's captain as long as he played.

This incredible, understated rivalry unfolded quietly—yet even in the pre-social media era, whispers of a rift between the two legends stirred newsrooms and fueled speculation.

One particular incident remains one of the greatest mysteries in Indian cricket history. Let’s take a closer look at what happened:

Match: 2nd Test, Delhi, December 12 - 17, 1984, England tour of India

India 307 (Kapil Dev 60, Richard Ellison 4-66) & 235 (Sunil Gavaskar 65, Mohinder Amarnath 64, Phil Edmonds 4-60, Pat Pocock 4-93)

England 418 (Tim Robinson 160, Laxman Sivaramakrishnan 6-9 6) & 127/2 (Allan Lamb 37*)

England won by 8 wickets

What led to the confrontation: England had lost the first Test of the series. In the second Test, after lunch on the final day, they claimed India's last six wickets for 28 runs. England now had the easy opportunity to square the series as they faced a small target of 125 in 59 minutes and 20 overs. A draw was within India's grasp on a slow, turning pitch, but some reckless and irresponsible batting by the Indian middle order provided England the best opportunity to take control.

There was widespread criticism following India’s sudden collapse in the second innings, particularly over the apparent loss of focus and lack of resolve at the crease. Two batsmen, in particular, came under scrutiny.

The turning point was the dismissal of Sandeep Patil, the fifth wicket to fall with the score at 207. Having been tied down by the spinners for nearly 40 overs, Patil—seemingly frustrated—attempted a risky pull shot off Phil Edmonds, only to mistime it and offer a simple catch at mid-wicket.

Given the match situation, the expectation was that Kapil Dev, a seasoned campaigner and fresh off a fluent 60 off 97 balls in the first innings, would anchor the innings and guide India to safety. Instead, after hitting Pocock for a six, he played an ill-advised shot and gifted his wicket with a mishit straight to the fielder.

Following his dismissal, India’s lower order crumbled, losing the final four wickets for just 21 runs—a collapse that sealed their fate and intensified the post-match criticism.

In fact, England were handed the victory on a platter. Coming into the match, they hadn’t won a single Test in their last 13 outings and were battling not just poor form but also emotional and psychological strain. The tour had been overshadowed by the assassination of Indian Prime Minister Mrs. Indira Gandhi, widespread riots across the country, and the tragic killing of Sir Percy Norris, the Deputy High Commissioner, on the eve of the series.

Despite England’s troubled state—both on and off the field—India provided a golden opportunity and allowed them to level the series.

What happened thereafter: For the Indian camp, the natural next step was a post-mortem of the team’s performance—and the search for a scapegoat. Despite contributing scores of 30 and 41, Sandeep Patil came under fire. So did Kapil Dev, who had scored 42, 60, and 7 across the first two Tests. Both were accused of playing reckless shots that triggered the team’s collapse.

This is where the real story begins. In a surprising move, both Patil and Kapil were dropped for the next Test. But the real bombshell was the exclusion of Kapil Dev from the squad for the Kolkata Test—a decision that was widely seen as an unofficial punishment for his so-called rash shot in the previous match, which was believed to have cost India the game.

It was strongly believed that Sunil Gavaskar, who had resumed captaincy for the series, had a decisive role in dropping Kapil. This fueled public perception of a strained relationship between the two cricketing legends, sparking speculation that the rift ran deeper than just on-field decisions.

Penalty: So there was no monetary penalty but their differences took years to heal. This was the only Test Kapil Dev missed in his entire Test career and this decision deprived him of creating a new record for playing most consecutive Tests. In his 16-year-long Test career, that one Test match Kapil Dev did not play. Prior to the Kolkata Test, he had played 66 straight Test matches and after this Kolkata Test, he played another 65 consecutive Tests.

This was a silent rift, and the worst thing was that it opened a pandora box of previous controversial incidents associated with Gavaskar and Media extracted juicy stories out of the ‘rift’. They both were star cricketers at that time and were part of the game of musical chairs as far as India captaincy is concerned. This change, sometimes unwarranted, soured the relationship between the two of India's greatest cricketers. Even Kapil was also accused of having called the innings with Gavaskar at 236* in Madras in 1983, when he appeared to be all set to score the first 300 by any Indian batsman.

Although Kapil and Sunil Gavaskar were never great friends, for the first time the clash was in the headlines. The stage was set for sympathy with Kapil and there were even protests from the crowd at Eden Gardens, and they chanted, ‘No Kapil, No Test’. Even rotten vegetables and fruits were thrown at Gavaskar, and this hostility led him to vow, not to play at the venue again and he never played.

Various theories surfaced in the coming years wrt dropping of Kapil by the Chandu Borde led Selection Committee .However Gavaskar himself, for the first time in March 2021, spoke about the incident and claimed that he had no role to play in dropping Kapil and it was entirely Selection Committee decision, ‘I was part of the selection committee as the Indian captain but without voting right.’

‘I’m not stupid to drop my only match-winner player. At some stage in the future, I may reveal the name of the selector who not only wanted Kapil dropped but also wanted his match fee suspended,’ he further said. Now Kapil has also changed his thinking in the same lines and denies any kind of rift with Gavaskar. Inspite of this change in the thinking, this Kapil dropping decision, remains one of the biggest mysteries of the Indian cricket .

Even BCCI felt that their sour relationship was spoiling the atmosphere within the team and to broker a ceasefire between the two, BCCI President NKP Salve called both of them at his residence .No doubt, their misunderstandings were blown out of proportion by the media, in search of juicy stories. However, it goes to their credit that both played under each other, gave their best and with the time maintained a friendly front.