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Kapil Dev had already warned me in advance — he’d be leaving the golf course in Greater Noida around 6 pm, even though he was entering the arena at half-past one. Ever generous, he even offered me a ride in the golf cart to accompany him. I politely declined. If a 66-year-old champion can walk the course with ease, what excuse did I have in my late forties? I decided to walk alongside him.
Trust me, it felt like fielding for a full 50 overs.
Hole after hole, as Kapil moved across the lush greens, he only got better. By the time he reached the 18th, his swing was as fluid as ever, his concentration razor-sharp. And when it came to putting — well, no one comes close. He’s a natural. Truly, he is the god of all things — not just a jack of all trades, but a master of them too.
Somewhere between sips of lemonade and coffee — both on the house — I was also offered club sandwiches. I politely declined. Somehow, indulging in such delicacies didn’t feel right when the rest of the group was entirely focused on their game. Golf, I realized, is more than a sport — it’s an addiction. A serious one.
There was an unspoken discipline before every stroke. Conversations paused. Movements froze. I learned that from Kapil himself — you don’t talk when someone is lining up a shot. The etiquette, the focus, the calm — it was all deeply respected on that course.
More than once, I found myself asking: what am I even doing here? But each time I reminded myself — I was walking beside a man who changed the face of Indian cricket. That was reason enough.
And what is Kapil Dev doing on a golf course? Well, for one, he’s the head of the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI). And while he admits cricket will always be his first love, golf brings him joy — joy without pressure. Watching him play, you see how naturally the game flows through him. His swing is effortless. His putting, near-perfect. His composure? Untouchable.
At one point, I jokingly told him, “We seem to be coming to the same spot again and again!” He simply laughed at my silly remark — no sarcasm, no correction, just that warm, hearty laugh of someone who’s heard it all and still enjoys the moment.
Kapil Dev isn’t just a cricketing legend. On the golf course, he’s just as commanding — proof that greatness doesn’t retire, it only evolves.
The stamina. The grace. It all came together — watching him was like being part of his playing XI again. Every step he took on the course, every swing of the club, carried that unmistakable aura of a champion. Even under the sweltering, humid conditions, his energy never dipped. What stood out the most was his constant reminder: focus on one thing at a time. It wasn’t just advice — it was a way of life he followed with quiet discipline.
A champion never really grows old. And Kapil Dev? He simply refuses to. On or off the field, he continues to redefine what it means to be timeless.
In between all this — the walking, the focus, the flawless strokes — Kapil Dev kept a quiet but constant eye on the scoreboard of the ongoing India-England Test series. Even amidst his golf game, he didn’t take his eyes off cricket. The game may have evolved, but his bond with it remains unshakable.
As he wrapped up the 18th hole and prepared to leave, he turned with a smile and said, “I wasn’t too bad, was I?” Then, true to his word, he headed straight for his next appointment — just after 6 pm, right on schedule. Punctual bhi hai! A champion in every sense of the word — on the cricket field, on the golf course, and in life.
Amazing and Inspirational