“Cricket is possibly the one thing in this country free of the tyranny of legacy and lineage”

When Kapil Dev and Bishan Singh Bedi took the Algebra stage, they demonstrated why they’re heroes, not just to a generation but to the entire country.

In a conversation utterly captivating for its authenticity and raw charm, both former captains told incredible stories about their time on the field, their relationships with legends of the game – including Bedi with his first skipper the Nawab of Pataudi and Kapil with his first skipper Bedi. The two legends, onstage with author and veteran journalist Rajdeep Sardesai – himself son of the iconic Dilip Sardesai – talked of Rajdeep’s intriguing new book Democracy’s Eleven that draws a parallel between the arenas of democracy and cricket, and places it as the most egalitarian of Indian obsessions, freed of the tyranny of legacy and lineage.

But it was when Kapil launched into an impassioned critique of the Indian obsession with English and of judging intelligence by people’s facility with the language that Kapil connected most intimately with the audience, and showed that the passion he brought to the field is alive and vibrant in his otherwise measured demeanour.

Watch the full session above.

Earlier Session
“Cricket In India Is Democracy’s Alter Ego, One Of The Few Meritocratic Impulses We Have Left”