New Delhi: June 5, 2008 - The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the UB Group, have announced plans to honor the 1983 World Cup winners and commemorate the 25th anniversary of this cricketing milestone.

The BCCI will hold a special event in Delhi on June 22, to felicitate the players, following which the entire team will be touring Lords on June 25, to mark this special day. This visit to Lords will be followed by a gala dinner hosted by the UB Group in London.

Kapil Dev and Sunil Gavaskar presented a special cricket bat signed by the entire team of 1983, which will be encrusted with diamonds and auctioned by the UB Group in association with an auction house.

"This is our way of ensuring that the silver jubilee celebrations are memorable for millions of those who were a either a part of it or yearned to be one," both the companies said in a joint statement.

Sharad Pawar, President, BCCI, said, "Cricket has always been the most popular sport in India. The recent T20 matches have attracted viewers from all segments of society and has given a shot in the arm to Indian cricket by attracting players from around the world. However, the most remembered event in the history of Indian cricket is the stunning victory of our team against West Indies - the then cricket superpower."

Dr Vijay Mallya, Chairman, UB Group, said, "The UB Group's legendary association with sports in India is a relentless pursuit to raise the bar for the game and match international standards. Sports association has given us a great opportunity and a platform to showcase our brand portfolio."