Manager of India’s T20 2007 World Cup winning squad Sunil Dev passes away

In saddening news, the manager of team India’s T20I World Cup 2007 winning squad, Sunil Dev, passed away. He was the former secretary of the former Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA) and was 75 years old when his demise was announced after a prolonged illness. 

Being 75 years old, Sunil Dev was survived by his children and wife. He worked with the DDCA for many years, and he also served for the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) as part of the board’s sub-committees when he was the sports administrator with the governing body.

However, one of the biggest achievements of his career came at the first-ever T20I World Cup in South Africa. Sunil Dev was appointed as the administrative manager of the Indian team in 2007 and was also in the same position on India’s tour of South Africa in 1996 and the 2014 tour to England.

During his tenure with the DDCA, Sunil Dev rose to positions of great power, to the point where a team from the Ranji Trophy could be released without his approval. Establishing himself as an important figure for the BCCI, Sunil Dev’s passing saw many fans come forward to offer their condolences.

India defeated Pakistan in inaugural T20I World Cup final in 2007

Meanwhile, speaking of the iconic summit clash of the 2007 T20I World Cup, the MS Dhoni-led Indian team reached the finals of the tournament and faced off against arch-rivals Pakistan. Batting first, team India posted 157 runs on the board. Opener Gautam Gambhir was the star of the first innings, as he scored 75 runs in 54 deliveries, to help his side reach a respectable total in the summit clash.

During the run chase, India put forth a magnificent performance with the ball. RP Singh and Irfan Pathan took three wickets each and a brilliant final over by Joginder Sharma sealed the World Cup win for India.