India winning the inaugural World T20 in 2007 was an unprecedented event. We had been knocked out of the 2007 ODI World Cup just a few months ago. We had lost an ODI series to England. Dravid, Ganguly and Sachin had pulled out from the competition and the expectations were at an all-time low.
And then these men did things nobody thought them capable of.
1. MS Dhoni (C)
The former Indian skipper, who just won another IPL trophy will be the official mentor of the Indian Cricket team under Virat Kohli for the World T20 starting in a few days.
2. Yuvraj Singh (VC)
2007 T20 WC sent Yuvraj Singh’s career through the stratosphere. The legend would go on to accomplish godly things, including being the Man of the Tournament at the 2011 World Cup that India won. Yuvraj is now retired from international cricket but as of last year, wanted to feature in T20 tournaments in Punjab.
3. Ajit Agarkar
Ajit Agarkar retired from international cricket in 2013 after a glorious career that saw him lift the 2007 T20 World Cup, scoring a 100 at Lord’s, take 6 wickets at Adelaide to win India a Test in Australia in decades. Agarkar is now a part of Star’s commentary team and regularly features as an expert on Post-match shows.
4. Piyush Chawla
Chawla has always been considered good luck for India. Whether he was playing on not, the man has featured in two World Cup victories. Despite not having featured in India colours for a decade now, Chawla continues to perform in T20 leagues. He was also a part of the Mumbai Indians 2021 squad in the recently concluded IPL.
5. Gautam Gambhir
The former Indian opener was instrumental in winning the final against Pakistan in the inaugural T20 World Cup. Following the success of the 2007 WC, Gambhir had a stellar career, winning overseas tests, batting for hours to save the Napier Test and scoring those magnificent 97 runs in the 2011 WC final.
Gautam Gambhir currently serves as a Member of the Parliament from Delhi for the BJP.
6. Harbhajan Singh
Singh was already a star going into the World Cup and the victory only cemented his legacy. Harbhajan had last represented India in a T20I in 2016 in the Asia Cup. He was a part of the Kolkata Knight Riders during IPL 2021.
7. Joginder Sharma
The most important over of Joginder Sharma’s international career won India its first T20 World Cup. Unfortunately, it would also be his last. That said, Sharma’s career has progressed in different ways. He currently serves as the Deputy Superintendent of Police in Haryana Police.
8. Dinesh Karthik (WK)
How can anyone ever forget the catch Karthik pulled off of Graeme Smith at 2nd slip in a do-or-die match for India. Karthik has since made sporadic appearances for the Indian Cricket Team. His most popular innings is still the last ball 6 he hit to win India the Nidahas Trophy.
That said, Karthik is very much active in the IPL, having previously led the KKR and continuing to be a regular feature in the team. He has also been seen on our TV screens as a commentator and a very funny one at that.
9. Yusuf Pathan
Yusuf made his debut during the final of the 2007 T20 WC. And while he didn’t score a lot, that six he hit pretty much describes his whole career. Before being dropped from the Indian team, Yusuf gave us many memorable performances, be it his century against South Africa in South Africa or the second-fastest century in the IPL.
Yusuf now runs the Cricket Academy of Pathans with his younger brother, Irfan. He announced his retirement earlier this year.
10. Irfan Pathan
Irfan Pathan was already an enigma when he walked into the 2007 T20 World Cup. He was the Man of the Match in the finals after bagging three very crucial wickets. In 2019, he had joined the Jammu and Kashmir team as a player and a mentor. He announced his retirement in 2020.
11. Virender Sehwag
There is nothing Virender Sehwag hasn’t achieved in his career. Four years after winning the inaugural T20 World Cup in South Africa, Sehwag helped fulfil Sachin Tendulkar’s dream of winning a World Cup in 2011. Since his retirement, Sehwag has featured as an expert and a commentator on TV. He also runs the Sehwag International School in Haryana.
12. Rohit Sharma
Sharma’s 50 against South Africa, and a quick fire 30 against Pakistan in the final definitely helped India lift the trophy. Since that victory though, Sharma had to move heaven and hells to get back into the Indian team. But since his return in 2013, he has blasted 3 double centuries in ODIs and is the only player from the 2007 side to be going into the 2021 T20 World Cup.
13. Rudra Pratap Singh
India would have never won 2007 T20 WC without RP Singh wreaking havoc with the new ball. Unfortunately, the fast bowler lost his way to injuries after the tournament and even though he did don the blue sporadically, he could never cement a comeback into the team. Singh announced his retirement in 2018 and sometimes features an expert on cricket shows.
14. Robin Uthappa
The former Indian opener is still a regular feature in the Indian Premier League and was a key member of the CSK squad that lifted the trophy this season. However, life hasn’t exactly been easy for Uthappa. From fighting his fitness issues to battling depression and suicidal thoughts, Uthappa is the winner in real life!
15. S. Sreesanth
Sreesanth was the great enigma of Indian cricket. Future historians will struggle to understand how the same man can have such enormous highs and astounding lows in his short career. Sreesanth was a key reason India defeated Australia in the semi-finals. He was also an important member of the Indian team that lifted the WC in 2011.
Sreesanth was accused of spot-fixing and banned from playing cricket by the BCCI for 7 years. He still harbours aspirations of returning to cricket and would have been a part of the domestic season for Kerala had it not been for the pandemic.
Oh man, this was some team, wasn’t it? The sheer talent in this lineup is unmatched. If you are old enough, you remember India coming out of that series loss in England, and nobody giving this young team a chance in hell to win the World Cup! Who knew what these men would do during that tournament would change the face of the sport forever.