Former Indian all-rounder Kirti Azad has strongly refuted a viral social media image purporting to show an extravagant celebratory hospitality receipt from the nation's historic 1983 World Cup victory. The widely circulated document suggested that the triumphant squad marked their landmark achievement with substantial purchases of alcohol and cigarettes at a luxury hotel in London.
The online post featured an invoice from the Grosvenor Hotel containing items such as expensive champagne, spirits, and tobacco products. The document appeared to carry the official authorization of the legendary championship-winning captain.
This is fake. It is all over social media. We stayed at Westmoreland Hotel, next to Lords cricket Ground, London. After the victory on 25 June 1983 celebrations took place all night till morning of 26th June. We never went to this hotel. The signature of Kapil Dev is also forged. pic.twitter.com/h8hVoBZhht
— Kirti Azad (@KirtiAzaad) May 21, 2026
“This is fake. It is all over social media. We stayed at Westmoreland Hotel, next to Lords cricket Ground, London. After the victory on 25 June 1983 celebrations took place all night till morning of 26th June. We never went to this hotel. The signature of Kapil Dev is also forged,” Azad clarified on X.
The veteran cricketer emphasized that the entire team remained together at their designated accommodation near the match venue during the historic evening. He dismissed any claims that players visited alternative premises.
Azad maintained that the squad celebrated their monumental achievement responsibly within their own quarters. The fabricated receipt has nonetheless generated intense discussions among cricket enthusiasts regarding past sporting eras.
Despite the contemporary digital misinformation, the viral sensation has inadvertently allowed fans to reminisce about the iconic performance that transformed the trajectory of domestic cricket.
The monumental victory over the formidable West Indies team at Lord’s shattered decades of international dominance. It ultimately established a new era of global popularity for the sport across the subcontinent.
