Sourav Ganguly's Indian team from 2002 and where they are today

Typically grey, cold and wet England has greeted the dazzling Men in Blue who are back to the home of cricket in search of a second consecutive ICC Champions Trophy title. Among those who will take the field for India, many are familiar faces, who had the unique privilege of sporting the white blazers on the night of the 2013 Champions Trophy final as well. At the helm, however, will be a new figure of flamboyance, the seemingly invincible Virat Kohli. His predecessor, the more relaxed and solid MS Dhoni, will simply assume the role of a wicket-keeper this time around. The same MS was the one jumping for joy when James Tredwell failed to connect an Ashwin delivery that required 6 runs. That fateful dot ball gave India its second Champions Trophy, thus completing Dhoni’s sparkling collection of ICC silverware. Nevertheless, the first time they got their hands on the coveted trophy was in 2002, when India were forced to share the spoils with hosts Sri Lanka after torrential rains washed out the final on two consecutive days. Come to think of it, it’s been 15 years since Sourav Ganguly’s Indian team rose to the top of 12 cricketing nations. Out of the 15-member squad that traveled to Sri Lanka that year, only 3 players are still actively taking part in tournaments, including international series. However, there’s only one name which will be common to both the 2002 squad and the 2017 squad for Team India. CricTracker takes a look at where Sourav Ganguly’s 2002 Champions Trophy squad is today. Sourav Ganguly Former Cricketer Sourav Ganguly. (Photo by Shankar Mourya/Hindustan Times via Getty Images) The former skipper of the Indian Cricket Team, who was responsible for refurbishing Indian cricket, is now the honorable President of the Cricket Association of Bengal. Sourav Ganguly’s passion for football got him to invest in Atletico de Kolkata, the ISL’s most successful football team with 2 championship titles. Ganguly is also a regular feature in the commentary box, and is seen commentating for the 2017 Champions Trophy as well. Virender Sehwag Virender Sehwag. (Photo Source: Twitter) Having transformed the approach of an opening batsman completely, Virender Sehwag now sits behind the scenes for the Kings XI Punjab as the head of cricket operations and strategy. He is also a Hindi commentator these days and is as explosive with the words as he used to be with the bat. Sehwag has also made a niche for himself on the micro-blogging platform Twitter. He is known for his witty comments and for constantly pulling fun of cricketers and celebrities, all in the good spirit of course. Rahul Dravid (Photo Source: Twitter) Rahul Dravid is undoubtedly one the most elegant and classiest batsman cricket has ever produced and remains an iconic figure of India’s rise to dominating world cricket. Following retirement, Dravid took up the responsibility to coach both the India A team and the India U-19 team. His position as coach immediately brought about results for the U-19 team, who successfully reached the final of the 2016 U-19 World Cup. Rahul Dravid is also involved with the Delhi Daredevils during the IPL season. Dinesh Mongia Dinesh Mongia. (© Getty Images) Despite being a handy left-handed batsman, Dinesh Mongia was unable to extend his stay in the Indian Cricket Team due to inconsistent performances. Mongia had a forgettable 2002 Champions Trophy outing, having scored 1 run in 3 innings. He then fizzled out of the international sector and joined the rebel Indian Cricket League. However, that didn’t end well for Mongia either – along with the league now being defunct, Dinesh Mongia was also accused of match-fixing. The former Indian batsman is currently coaching a school team in Chandigarh. Sachin Tendulkar Sachin Tendulkar. (Photo Source: YouTube) The Little Master obviously needs no introduction to the cricketing fraternity, and neither do his contributions to the Indian Cricket Team. After a fairytale end to his 24-year long career at his home ground Wankhede, Tendulkar continued to be a part of the Mumbai Indians setup as a mentor. Along with Shane Warne, he also launched the Cricket All-Stars Series, an initiative to bring cricket to the United States of America. Of late, Sachin Tendulkar was seen on the silver screen in his biopic ‘Sachin: a billion dreams’ that became a big hit amongst the fans. VVS Laxman VVS Laxman. (Photo by Pradeep Gaur/Mint via Getty Images) Laxman’s very very special performances kept flowing from his bat, especially in the longest format of the game. His unbeaten 281 at the Eden Gardens is an innings which defined Laxman’s mettle. Having called it a day from international cricket, VVS Laxman now mentors the Sunrisers Hyderabad team during the IPL.He is also a regular feature in the commentary box. He is also a regular feature in the commentary box and is an analyst. His minute analysis of the game shows how wonderful a student of the game he was during his playing days. Yuvraj Singh Yuvraj Singh of Sunrisers Hyderabad. (Photo Source: BCCI) Although he might have played with his seniors who have now retired from the game, Yuvraj Singh lingers on with the Indian Cricket Team. Following two World Cup winning performances, Yuvraj looked his old self in the recently concluded ODI series against England. A spectacular knock of 150 brought back memories of the vintage Yuvraj Singh, and also earned him a call up to India’s Champions Trophy squad. Yuvraj will be the only player from the 2002 India squad to feature in the 2017 edition of the Champions Trophy as well. He is also a part of the Sunrisers Hyderabad squad in the IPL. Mohammad Kaif Mohammad Kaif and Suresh Raina. (Photo Source: Twitter) He was a livewire in the field, was Mohammad Kaif. He architected India’s triumph over England in the final of the 2002 NatWest Series with an unbeaten 87 at Lord’s. However, inconsistency led to Kaif being axed from the Indian team, and he didn’t find a way to squeeze back in. Mohammad Kaif remains a domestic cricketer to date and captains the Chattisgarh State team. He was the Gujarat Lions’ fielding coach for the 2017 edition of the IPL as well. Harbhajan Singh Harbhajan Singh. (Photo Source: Twitter) One of India’s most accomplished spinners, Harbhajan Singh still bowls with the same accuracy and intensity he did when he picked up the match-defining hat-trick against Australia at the Eden Gardens. Very much an active cricketer, Harbhajan Singh is currently fighting to make a comeback to the national team. Although he is out of the Indian side for quite some time yet he is an active member in the IPL. His recent performance for the Mumbai Indians was laudable. Zaheer Khan Delhi Daredevils captain Zaheer Khan. (Photo: Surjeet Yadav/IANS ) Few Indian fast bowlers have delivered the ball with the verve that Zaheer Khan has. Zaheer’s experience was on full display during India’s victorious 2011 World Cup campaign. In fact, Zaheer Khan was India’s leading wicket-taker in the 2002 Champions Trophy, the 2003 World Cup and the 2011 World Cup. Having announced his retirement from international cricket in 2015, Zaheer continues to be a part of the Delhi Daredevils franchise. He was the captain of the side in the recently concluded 10th edition of IPL. Ajit Agarkar Ajit Agarkar. (Photo by SAJJAD HUSSAIN/AFP/Getty Images) Ajit Agarkar has been one of India’s most successful fast bowlers in a short career which spanned 9 years. An effective ODI bowler, Agarkar plied his skills for the Kolkata Knight Riders for a couple of IPL seasons as well. For a number of years, he was the frontline fast bowler in India’s line-up. Ajit Agarkar is currently seen as a cricket analyst with ESPN. Javagal Srinath Former Indian cricketer Javagal Srinath (Photo by Chirag Wakaskar-IPL 2010/IPL via Getty Images) Javagal Srinath’s wicket-taking ability at crucial stages of the game remains unmatched. One of India’s fastest and most fearsome pacers, Srinath could also swing the ball and produce some unplayable deliveries. After India’s 2003 World Cup campaign which saw them lose out to Australia in a one-sided final, Javagal Srinath hung up his boots. Srinath then assumed the role of the Secretary of the Karnataka State Cricket Association and is also an ICC match referee. Anil Kumble India’s head coach Anil Kumble attends a practice session. (Photo by ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/Getty Images) Having played in the 2002 Champions Trophy, Anil Kumble will be very much part of India’s 2017 campaign where they look to defend their title once again. However, Kumble’s role now requires him to coach the Indian Cricket Team rather than play for it. Easily India’s most renowned spinner to have played the game, Kumble tried his hand at the Indian Premier League as well with the Royal Challengers Bangalore. Anil Kumble was then appointed Head Coach of the senior men’s India team. Jai Prakash Yadav Jai Prakash Yadav. (photo by Tom Shaw/Getty Images) Jai Prakash Yadav is not a name many would associate with cricket. Despite being diagnosed with a tumor, Yadav defied all odds and debuted for the Men in Blue in 2002. However, JP was the only member of the 15-man squad to not have played a game during the 2002 Champions Trophy. His short-lived career saw him play just 12 ODIs following which he made efforts to transform his body. Jai Prakash Yadav then resurfaced in 2013 as the chief selector of the Railways and currently coaches the side. Ashish Nehra Ashish Nehra of India. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images) Ashish Nehra seems to be an almost historical figure in the Indian Cricket Team, but one who still has it in him to rattle the best of batsmen. Jokes aside, Nehra’s brilliant ability to bowl death overs alongside Jasprit Bumrah has assured him a spot in India’s T20 side. The 37-year old was in action for India as recently as February 2017 when he played a T20 against England. In the IPL circuit, Nehra is part of the Sunrisers Hyderabad setup but missed out on most part of the 2017 tournament with an injury.

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