Former skipper Dilip Vengsarkar on Monday made a startling revelation about underworld don Dawood Ibrahim. He said Dawood entered the Indian dressing room and offering players cars if they to beat Pakistan in the final of the Australasia Cup in Sharjah in 1986.
Vengsarkar said Dawood had walked into the team’s dressing room a day before the match and offered each player a Toyota car if they beat Pakistan in Sharjah. Vengsarkar said the gangster was introduced by the famous actor Mehmood as a businessman. However, Dawood was asked by the then India captain Kapil Dev to go out of the dressing room. ‘Actor Mehmood was in our dressing room. Kapil Dev was not in room at that time because he had gone out to address a press conference. Dawood was introduced by actor Mehmood. No one recognised him but I had seen his photographs. Mehmood introduced him to us as a big businessman. Mehmood said he wanted to announce a prize for us. He said ‘If you beat Pakistan tomorrow, everyone will get a car’. Jayawant Lele was our manager then,’ Vengsarkar said.
Reacting to Vengsarkar’s revelation, Kapil Dev said he was not aware of the car offer but confirmed Dawood Ibrahim was in the dressing room but he had ordered him to walk out.