Former India batsman Yashpal Sharma, a member of the 1983 World Cup-winning side, passed away on Tuesday at the age of 66 leaving his former champion teammates and entire nation in disbelief. And as fans and friends of Sharma is morning his death, Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh too took to social media to express offer condolences.
Sharing a black and white picture Ranveer Singh added a broken heart emoji to mourn Yashpal Sharna’s death.
Ranveer Singh currently awaits the release of his film "83" that tells the story of India's first cricket World Cup win in 1983. The film is directed by Kabir Khan and stars Ranveer Singh as Kapil Dev. Actor Jatin Sarna aka Bunty of popular web-series ‘Sacred Games’ will essay the role of cricketer Yashpal Sharma in Kabir Khan's directorial venture.
Yashpal Sharma suffered a heart attack after returning from morning walk and collapsed at around 7.30 am.
The right-handed batsman, who was the backbone of India's middle-order in the 1983 World Cup, played 37 Test matches scoring 1606 runs and 42 ODIs scoring 883 runs. He also played 160 first-class matches, representing Punjab, Haryana and Railways, and scored 8933 runs.
But he was best remembered at international level for his performances in India's first World Cup win, in 1983. He aggregated 240 runs at an average of 34.28 to return as the second highest-scorer for India behind skipper Kapil Dev in the tournament.
Sharma had top-scored with 89 (off 120 balls) to help India make 262/8 in their 34-run victory over West Indies in their first match of the 1983 World Cup. That win in Manchester is said to have given India the self-belief to go on and win the tournament.
He also served as a match referee and umpire.