Kapil Dev, legendary Indian cricketer, hospitalized after heart attack

Following the news break, social media has been abuzz with his fans and followers wishing him a speedy recovery.

Earlier in the day, the hospital, Fortis Escorts Okhla Road, issued a statement saying the former cricketer is now in ICU and under close supervision.

The 62-year-old former Indian captain underwent emergency coronary angioplasty surgery, after he was admitted to Fortis Escorts Heart Institute, New Delhi, in the early hours of Friday morning complaining of chest pain.

Kapil Dev led from the very front as India defied all the odds and beat the mighty West Indies in the final at the Lord's to register a historic triumph. "He was evaluated and an emergency coronary Angioplasty was performed by Dr. Atul Mathur, Director of Cardiology Department, in the middle of night". It took India another 28 years to repeat that feat. He was feeling uneasy yesterday (Thursday).

Unverified reports, however, stated that the 1983 World Cup victor had undergone an angioplasty after suffering a heart attack.

A hospital statement said only that Dev was in "stable" condition.

However, a source close to Kapil said, "The heart attack was a rumour. Strength always", India batsman Shikhar Dhawan tweeted.

Former Indian allrounder Kapil Dev.

The former India captain is one of India's best all-rounders and was the leader of the team that won the 1983 World Cup that put India on the global cricket map.

He remains the only player in Test history to have combined taking more than 400 wickets with scoring in excess of 5,000 runs.

Kapil was inducted into the International Cricket Council's Hall of Fame in 2010.