Lata ji and her love for cricket: When Nightangle of India rescued BCCI post 83 win

New Delhi: (PTI) When Kapil Dev lifted the World Cup at the Lord’s balcony, the erstwhile BCCI president and one of the powerful ministers in the Indira Gandhi cabinet, late NKP Salve had a different worry. It was still some years to go for economic liberalization and an astute businessman like Jagmohan Dalmiya’s foresight to turn cricket into an industry.

Kapil’s Devils needed to be celebrated but the BCCI, which currently is looking at USD 5 billion television contract, barely paid its cricketers a daily allowance of 20 pounds. Salve had to turn to his ‘Man Friday’ and Indian cricket’s ‘one stop Encyclopedia’ Raj Singh Dungarpur for a solution to be able to reward the players for such an achievement.

‘Raj bhai’, as Dungarpur was known in Indian cricket circle, decided that the only way was to request his close friend and one of country’s biggest cricket fans Lata Mangeshkar to do a pro-bono concert in the national capital’s Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. The JLN was packed to capacity as ‘Lata ji’ did a near two hour programme.

The event ensured that BCCI collected enough money and each of the 14 members got Rs 1 lakh each as cash award. “It was a very decent sum in those days. We would otherwise save up tour money and daily allowance for that month and it came to barely Rs 60,000,” Sunil Valson recollected.

“I remember some people said we will give you Rs 5000, some said Rs 10,000 and it was very disrespectful at times. But then Lata ji sang in that concert. What a function it was and one of the most memorable evenings to watch her sing live,” Valson said.

The BCCI and more so Dungarpur never forgot how ‘Lata ji’ saved Indian cricket from sheer embarrassment just because of her pristine love for the ‘Gentleman’s game’. As a mark of respect, the BCCI till her death kept two complimentary VIP tickets allocated at any Indian stadium for her, where India played an international match.

“Just like we have quota for each match (before COVID era) for sponsors, state associations, there are two tickets at every cricket match for Lata ji,” a senior BCCI official informed.The Mangeshkars were really cricket fans but one of the finest chroniclers of Mumbai cricket, senior journalist Makarand Waigankar recalls the days in 60s when Lata Mangeshkar was a regular visitor at the CCI Stadium and later at the Wankhede Stadium in 70s and 80s.

“Lata ji and her brother music composer Hridaynath Mageshkar were regulars at Test matches held at Brabourne Stadium,” Waingankar, who was a young journalist back then, recalled.