Former Indian batsman Yashpal Sharma, who was also a member of the Kapil Dev-led World Cup-winning team, died on Tuesday after suffering a cardiac arrest. He was 66 and is survived by his wife, two daughters and a son.
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.
Notably, Yashpal Sharma was India’s top-scorer in the World Cup 1983 semi-final against hosts England where he scored 61 runs and was involved in a match-winning 92-run stand with Mohinder Amarnath for the third wicket
Yashpal represented India in 37 ODIs and 42 Tests and was a crucial part of the Indian middle-order from 1979-83. He also served as a national selector for a couple of years and was reappointed to the panel in 2008.
He made his ODI debut earlier in 1978 against Pakistan while amassing 883 runs at an average of 28.48. In Ranji, where he represented three teams including Haryana and Railways, Yashpal played 160 matches while scoring 8, 933 runs that included 21 centuries with a highest score 201*.
“Can’t believe that he is no more. I have a lot of memories with him. We started off from Punjab, played the world cup with him. Just now Kapil called. Everyone is shocked now. His cricket career is the best. We met at a book launch recently. I can’t believe it. He is survived by his wife and 3 children. His son is in London for studies. Close relatives are in Ludhiana,” Madan Lal said.
