Former India batter and member of the 1983 World Cup-winning squad Kirti Azad has rejected a viral social media image that claimed to be a hotel receipt from the night the national team celebrated its historic 1983 triumph. Posting on X, Azad said the document circulating online is entirely fabricated, and he also alleged that a signature resembling Kapil Dev’s was forged on the fake invoice.
What the viral invoice claimed
The widely shared picture was presented as a restaurant and grill-room bill linked to London’s Grosvenor Hotel. It was purportedly dated June 25, 1983—the same evening India stunned West Indies at Lord’s to secure their first-ever Cricket World Cup title.
- The receipt was said to be from London’s Grosvenor Hotel and dated June 25, 1983.
- It appeared to list premium items including Moët champagne, steak dinners, whiskey, beer, and Dunhill cigarettes.
- The total on the invoice was claimed to be £764.
- To boost its credibility, the document included a bold signature resembling Kapil Dev’s autograph, which helped the post gain traction online.
Kirti Azad’s clarification on the celebrations
Azad moved quickly to shut down the rumour. In his post, he insisted that India did not celebrate at the Grosvenor Hotel after the World Cup win, and he pointed to the Westmoreland Hotel—located near Lord’s—as the venue for the celebrations.
Azad also alleged that the Kapil Dev signature seen on the viral document is fake. He further said the team’s celebrations stretched from the night of June 25, 1983, into the early hours of June 26.
- Azad stated the invoice is “fake” and is being shared widely on social media.
- He said the team stayed at Westmoreland Hotel, next to Lord’s cricket ground.
- He claimed celebrations occurred all night following the win on 25 June 1983, continuing into the morning of 26 June.
- He asserted that the signature attributed to Kapil Dev on the receipt has been forged.
The 1983 World Cup moment behind the controversy
The claim is tied to the 1983 Cricket World Cup Final, played on June 25, 1983, at Lord’s in London. In a landmark upset, India—described as underdogs—defeated the West Indies, the two-time defending champions, by 43 runs.
That win ended an era of West Indies dominance and shifted the global centre of gravity in cricket towards India, a legacy that continues to fuel nostalgia and discussion whenever new “behind-the-scenes” stories resurface online.
