Indian cricketers from ICC World T20 2007 - What they are up to now

“In the air, Sreesanth takes it!” these words from Ravi Shastri will reverberate in the ears of Indian fans for a long period of time. Not many gave India a chance to go all the way in the ICC World T20 2007, but MS Dhoni and his young troops did something amazing. Beating all the top sides in the world like Pakistan, South Africa, Australia, and England, India lifted the first ever ICC World T20 at Johannesburg and its folklores will keep inspiring people for a long time.

It was a dramatic final at the Bull Ring and India edged out their arch-rivals Pakistan in the final over of the game by 5 runs. This tournament gave a lifeline to the newest format and after IPL hit the shores, T20 cricket became a phenomenon. A lot of people even say cricket would’ve been different if India had not won the inaugural tournament.

Such was the brilliance of that triumph which went on to change the dynamics of the game quite drastically. Not many players who featured in that tournament are still in the Indian team and few of them have moved on from cricket. Let’s take a look at what these World Cup winners are doing currently.

1. Gautam Gambhir

Gautam Gambhir played one of the greatest knocks in T20 history in the final against Pakistan. He currently is out of the Indian side and is a long distance afar from staying in contention. His comeback chances look very grim and the only way people can see him play cricket is through IPL, Ranji Trophy, and other domestic tournaments.

2. Virender Sehwag

Virender Sehwag’s contribution in the tournament was priceless as he managed to give a good start almost every time. Sehwag hung up his boots in 2015 and since then, he has been doing a great job as a Hindi commentator. He created a havoc on Twitter as well posting few hilarious, sarcastic and sometimes, controversial tweets.

3. Rohit Sharma

Back then, he was a promising youngster and though he stuttered for many years later, Rohit Sharma established himself as a superstar in the game. He made his mark in the IPL as well, winning the title three times as a captain with Mumbai Indians. He has a lot of wonderful years ahead of him and these 10 years have been quite a learning curve for the Mumbaikar.

4. Robin Uthappa

There was a time when Robin Uthappa opened the innings with the legendary Sachin Tendulkar, but he lost his way due to inconsistency. He struggled to break into the Indian team for a long time but after his stint with Pravin Amre, he made a spectacular comeback into the limelight in the 2014 IPL, winning the Orange cap. He has been performing consistently for Karnataka and Kolkata Knight Riders, but he’s no more in contention to get into the Indian side.

5. Dinesh Karthik

On his day, Dinesh Karthik can be a match-winner in his own rights. Though he did have some good times post the World T20, Karthik finds himself as one of the discards of the Indian team. He fought his way into the Indian team for the ICC Champions Trophy but didn’t get a game. He will be featuring in the Ranji Trophy for Tamil Nadu and considering Wriddhiman Saha’s place in the Test side is not exactly permanent, he will perform his heart out.

6. Yuvraj Singh

Yuvraj Singh’s cricketing career has been more dramatic than a Bollywood film. He helped his side win the ICC World Cup 2011 and post then, he was diagnosed with cancer. He made a remarkable comeback into the game but he failed to replicate any vintage Yuvraj stuff after getting rid of his illness. He recently made a comeback into the ODI side after 4 years, but once again got dropped.

7. MS Dhoni (Captain)

MS Dhoni announced his retirement from Test cricket in December 2014 and in January 2017, he stepped down as the Indian skipper across all formats. He is turning more into a backbone of the batting lineup these days rather than a demolisher of the opposition. No matter how old he gets, one thing that remained intact is his fitness. From a talented cricketer, MS Dhoni became an absolute legend of the game in the last ten years.

8. Yusuf Pathan

There was a time when Yusuf Pathan was touted as the most destructive batsman in world cricket. But after his time at prime, he lost his place in the team. He was a part of the 2011 ICC World Cup victory as well. He has been featuring in the IPL and other domestic tournaments at present.

9. Irfan Pathan

One of the most important members of the Indian team during the World T20 campaign, Irfan Pathan’s career was undone by a lot of injuries. Selectors lost faith in him slowly and the last time he appeared in the blue jersey was back in 2012. He’s been a part of most IPLs and is the captain of the Baroda team in the domestic circuit.

10. Harbhajan Singh

The “turbanator” as they call him, Harbhajan Singh’s last major contribution in the Indian side came during the 2011 ICC World Cup. Since then, he failed to be a regular in the team and slowly, he lost his place in the side. He has been an integral part of the Mumbai Indians in the IPL and features regularly for Punjab.

11. Ajit Agarkar

There was a time when Ajit Agarkar was one of the best limited-overs bowler in the world. But he lost his way at a relatively young age of 30 and never featured for the India side again. He announced retirement from the game back in 2013, but the last time wore the blue jersey was back in 2007. He appears sometimes as a cricket analyst in Star Sports these days.

12. Joginder Sharma

The man who bowled that iconic final over to Misbah-Ul-Haq, Joginder Sharma met with a horrendous accident in 2011. Yet, he fought his way through and returned to domestic cricket in 2013. He was awarded a job in the Haryana Police after the 2007 triumph and currently, he enjoys life as a Deputy Superintendent Of Police.

13. S Sreesanth

One of the most talented fast bowlers in Indian cricket history, S Sreesanth was penalized by the BCCI for his alleged contribution in the IPL spot-fixing scandal. Since 2013, he has been fighting hard to prove his innocence and he tried his luck in politics, films and again, is trying to make a comeback, which seems highly unlikely to happen.

14. RP Singh

Rudra Pratap Singh was the best Indian bowler in the 2007 World T20, but injuries ruined his career quite badly. He never got back to his best and was discarded from the side at a relatively young age. He is no longer in contention to play IPL cricket as well and considering a fact that he’s just 31 years old, his downfall has been one of the most disheartening stories in recent times.

15. Piyush Chawla

Alike many in this list, Piyush Chawla has been out of the Indian team for a long period of time. The 28-year-old has so many good years ahead of him, yet he’s failing to catch the attention of the Indian selectors for a long time. He last represented India in 2012 and post then, he has been featuring in IPL and also in the domestic tournaments for Uttar Pradesh.