Chandigarh, June 27: Days after the Cricket Board celebrated the 25th anniversary of India’s World Cup victory, Kapil Dev’s poster, which had been removed from display at the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) Stadium, was restored this afternoon.

As reported by The Indian Express, the 25-feet-wide and 28-feet-long poster, which had pride of place at the stadium’s entrance, was removed about 20 days back following Kapil’s alliance with the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL).

At that time, M P Pandove, BCCI joint secretary and PCA secretary, had said that “a new extension has been constructed at the PCA Stadium, and we are just looking for an appropriate place to put up his poster there. We will do it as soon as we find a right place.”

However, the poster was back in its original place today.

Kapil had reacted angrily at the time, sending an email to Pandove, asking the association to return “gifts and memorabilia” he had given them for display so that he “could preserve them”. These included memorabilia from his playing days, including mementos from India’s 1983 World Cup-winning campaign.

In reply, Pandove had assured Kapil that his poster would soon be back where it had been, and that it had only been removed for some construction work. Pandove also said that all the memorabilia and gifts donated by Kapil were being “properly preserved in most befitting manner”.

“We have full respect for Kapil Dev and all his memorabilia and gifts are well preserved,” said Pandove, insisting that the move had “nothing to do with Kapil joining the (rebel) Indian Cricket League”.

Speaking to The Indian Express from London today, Kapil said: “I am quite happy and relieved that better sense has prevailed.” He added that he would’ve criticised the move even if it had been some other player’s poster.