Throwback to the time when Lata Mangeshkar awarded the 1983 World Cup winning squad

The nightingale of India breathed her last on Sunday morning as Lata Mangeshkar succumbed to the long battle with covid-induced pneumonia. The voice that established India in the world of music, was recovering from a bout of the aforementioned ailment. Aged 92, her battle met an end as she transcended herself beyond the mortal shell.

She was on the ventilator for quite some time. It was on 28th January 2022 that she was taken off life-support after her condition improved. Sadly, for her, the situation worsened again and she had to be shifted back on to the ventilator where she breathed her last.

In her long spanning career, Lata Mangeshkar sang over 30000 songs in various languages that made the world fall in love with her. However, very people mention about her affinity for sports. She had a very strong connection with Indian cricket.

A Bharat Ratna awardee ensured that a nation that thrives on cricket can get to savour the most of it. When Kapil Dev and company won the 1983 World Cup, Lata Mangeshkar awarded each and every player in the squad a staggering sum of Rs 1 lakh back then.

Speaking on the Master Denanath Mangeshkar Award Ceremony’, Kapil Dev quoted, “The BCCI was not very rich when we won the World Cup. I got a call saying Lataji will gather the entire team together and sing for us and also help us with cash rewards. She gave each one of us a cheque of 1 lakh - that was the first time I saw such a big amount.”

Lata Mangeshkar previously cited, “After we won the final at Lords, the BCCI president Mr Salve came to meet me said our players should get a grand welcome. I agreed and he said you have to do a show if we are to do this. This is the reason why I am doing this show.”

She had a massive admiration for India’s Little Master, Sachin Tendulkar as she quoted, “All gamers are good however Sachin is my favourite. Sunil Gavaskar regarded the perfect from that group in addition to Kapil Dev. By the best way, all of the cricketers listed below are good. Dravid can also be good. Sure, probably the most favourite is Sachin, little question about it. Everybody likes Sachin so why ought I to be behind?”

She was also heartbroken when Tendulkar hung his boots once and for all. Her heart-wrenching message was, “I can’t tell you how bad I felt when I first heard he had decided to retire. It was a terrible feeling. But with time I have come to terms with it. No one can continue forever. Even a great like Sachin can’t. I thought he could well have played on a little more but this is entirely his call. If he feels this is the best time I’d respect his decision and go with him. But yes I do feel terrible to think he will not play cricket again.”

Time and time again, her admiration for the Indian national team players manifested out in the open. She even congratulated Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni in 2016 for winning India a crucial match against Australia to seal the semi-final birth in the T20 World Cup.

She even congratulated Virat Kohli on smashing a blistering double century in her birth town, Indore. She also wished the former Indian captain a long and a happy life after a reckoning performance in 2018. Her demise created a void that cannot be filled for the ages to come. A voice that made the world hum, prance and embrace all their emotions, left for her heavenly abode.