5 Indian players who were part of World Cups but slowly faded away

The World Cup is deemed to be the pinnacle of ODI cricket. It’s played in a gap of four years and teams prepare with all their might to shine in the tournament. The Indian team have won the championship twice in 1983 and 2011 under Kapil Dev and MS Dhoni’s leadership respectively. Apart from the triumphant run, they have also played the final once and made the semi-finals quite a few times. Hence, there’s very little doubt that Men in Blue has boasted off some of the best names over the years. A number of Indian cricketers, who have played the 50-over event, have made a name for themselves and grown in stature. However, there have been a few cricketers, who couldn’t quite extend their careers much beyond the World Cups. Lack of form mostly turned detrimental in the voyage. In the article, let’s take a look at five Indian cricketers, who faded away after playing World Cups: – 1. Dinesh Mongia- 2003 Dinesh Mongia. (Photo by Tom Shaw/Getty Images) Dinesh Mongia isn’t the most stylish batsman one would come across, but he was effective enough to feature in India’s 2003 World Cup squad. The Chandigarh-born had a tough time though, donning the national colours. In 11 matches, the left-hander could only manage 120 runs at an average of 20. His strike-rate of 57.41 didn’t help him either. After the event, he played 15 ODIs for Team India. He was also a part of India’s first ever T20I against South Africa in 2006 at the iconic Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg. In his ODI career, Mongia managed 1,230 runs in 57 matches with a top score of 159* versus Zimbabwe. He made a brief comeback for two games after missing the 2007 World Cup. But then then his stint in the Indian Cricket League virtually brought the curtains down on his journey. 2. Munaf Patel- 2011 Munaf Patel. (Photo by Qamar Sibtain/India Today Group/Getty Images) Munaf Patel was one of India’s key bowlers in the 2011 World Cup at home. The speedster picked up eleven wickets in eight games with a four-wicket haul to show for his efforts. But in the same year, he went on to play his final matches for the national team across formats. After the Men India’s tour of England, he went out of the selectors’ radar. He continued playing for his domestic side Baroda though. In 13 Tests, 70 ODIs and three T20Is, Munaf picked up 125 wickets with four four-wicket hauls. When he burst on to the scene in 2006, he was one of the fastest bowlers in the country and also made the squad for the 2007 World Cup. Nevertheless, with time, his pace dropped and his wicket-taking ability also waned. Munaf also played in the IPL and his career halted after the 2017 season. 3. Mohit Sharma- 2015 Mohit Sharma. (Photo by Kunal Patil/Hindustan Times via Getty Images) Mohit Sharma played a crucial role for Team India in the 2015 World Cup. He notched 13 wickets in eight matches and played the part of the third seamer with sheer precision. It was only in 2013 that the fast bowler forayed into international cricket. However, the fairy-tale run didn’t last long. In 2015 itself, he lost his place in the team once and for all after the home series against South Africa. In 26 ODIs and eight T20Is, the Haryana-born managed 37 wickets. In the 2013 edition of the IPL, he shone for the Chennai Super Kings where MS Dhoni was the captain. His slower deliveries from the back of the hand created headaches for many, but then the same variations became predictable. The 31-year-old seamer last played a competitive match a year ago against the Mumbai Indians (MI). 4. Sadagopan Ramesh- 1999 Sadagopan Ramesh. (Photo Source: Twitter) Sadagopan Ramesh, the elegant left-handed batter, had the privilege of playing in the 1999 World Cup for the Men in Blue. Though India couldn’t make good progress, Ramesh did a fair job. Batting at the top of the order, he notched 144 runs in five matches at an average of 28.80. His top score of 55 in the mega event came versus Zimbabwe. His ODI career came to a halt in the same year. In the next two years, he stayed in contention for selection. In 24 ODIs, Ramesh churned out 646 runs at an average of 28.08 with six half-centuries. He last played for India in the 2001 tour of Sri Lanka. At the age of 32, he hung his boots from first-class cricket itself. Overall, Ramesh went on to score in excess of 10,000 runs across formats with the help of 22 centuries and 56 half-centuries. 5. Salil Ankola- 1996 Salil Ankola. (Photo Source: Twitter) Salil Ankola, the former Indian all-rounder, was a part of the 1996 World Cup. However, amidst some more experienced players in the ranks, he didn’t get a whole lot of chances. In fact, the Sholapur-born played a solitary game and went wicketless in the five overs he bowled. A year later in 1997, Ankola would go on to play his final international match against South Africa at Kingsmead in Durban. Ankola made his India debut back in the 1989 Karachi Test against Pakistan. It was the same match where the legendary Sachin Tendulkar also made his debut. Even as Tendulkar went on to play 200 Tests, Ankola’s Test career ended after that game. Later on, he pursued a career in acting. He has been a part of number of TV serials, including ‘Sshh…Koi Hain’, a horror show around a decade ago.

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5 Indian players who were part of World Cups but slowly faded away

These players, somehow, couldn't make it big after playing in the mega event.

2. Munaf Patel- 2011

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