Yashpal Sharma, Indian Cricketer and member of the first World Cup clinching Indian cricket team breathed his last today. As per his family, he suffered a cardiac arrest. He was 66.

Yashpal was instrumental in India’s ride through the 1983 World Cup and his flamboyant half century in the semi-final of that tournament will remain spoken about through years to come.

His time with the Indian Cricket team included 37 Test matches across which he scored 1,606 runs and 42 One Day Internationals, in which he scored 883 runs.

He was also a selector for the Indian cricket team in the earlier part of 2000. He was born in Ludhiana on 11 August 1954. He made his Test debut for India in August 1979 against England. The last Test he played for India was against the West Indies in 1983. His ODI debut was against Pakistan in October 1978.

As per media reports quoting family sources, Yashpal returned home from his morning walk and collapsed, a cardiac arrest that turned fatal.

Kirti Azad, former Indian cricketer and team mate in the 1983 World Cup squad said that Yashpal set the pace for India winning the first match of the tournament against the West Indies. He added that Yashpal was a live wire on the field and hit the stumps regularly.

His flamboyant half century against England in the semi-final of the 1983 World Cup gave India a successful attempt at clinching their first ever World Cup.

Yashpal, in his Ranji career, represented three teams – Punjab, Haryana and Railways. He amassed 8,933 runs across 160 matches in Ranji, which included 21 centuries, with a highest score of 201 not out.