Bharat Ratna Lata Mangeshkar was not only one of India’s legendary singers ever but also a huge cricket fan. Lata Mangeshkar had a special affection for cricket and was a big enthusiast of the game.
Lata Mangeshkar’s passion for the sport goes back decades. In addition to watching several matches on the ground, Lata Mangeshkar played a significant role in uplifting the glory of the game, especially after the historic 1983 World Cup win.
After the Indian team lifted the World Cup in 1983 by beating the West Indies in the finals, the Board of Control for Cricket in India had decided to felicitate and honour the team. The BCCI had also announced to honour the players. However, the cash-strapped cricket board did not have enough funds for it.
Union minister NKP Salve, who was President of BCCI then, had disclosed that Raj Singh Dungarpur had turned to Lataji for help.
“Raj Singh came up with a brilliant idea of requesting Lata Mangeshkar to do a musical programme in Delhi to raise money for the purpose, as the BCCI was not flush with funds in those days,” wrote NKP Salve.
In one of the interviews, Lata Mangeshkar reportedly narrated the incident saying, “I said I would definitely do it. I reached Delhi on 17th August, and I did a special show. Suresh Wadekar and Nitin Mukesh, son of Mukesh Bhaiya, also supported this show. Rajiv Gandhi was also present in that show,” she said.
In the event, Lata Mangeshkar sang a special song composed by Pandit Hridyanath Mangeshkar, Lata’s composer brother. The song titled – “Bharat Vishwa Vijeta” saw the cricketers also sing along on the stage. In the end, the concert ended up raising Rs. Twenty lakhs which made sure that every player received Rs. one lakh. For this event, Lata did not charge a penny for the performance.
Recognising her contributions to both music and the sport, the BCCI paid tributes to the legendary singer at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad.
“The Indian Cricket team is wearing black armbands today to pay their respects to Bharat Ratna Lata Mangeshkar ji, who left for her heavenly abode on Sunday morning. The queen of melody, Lata Didi loved cricket, always supported the game and backed Team India,” the BCCI said in a tweet.
