India’s 2007 T20 World Cup Winners: Where are they now?

India 2007 T20I jersey (Photo Source: Twitter)

India scripted history back in 2007, as they became champions of the first-ever T20 World Cup under MS Dhoni’s inspirational leadership. Some of the senior players, including the legendary Sachin Tendulkar, decided to skip the event, and the Men in Blue were a relatively inexperienced side with a first-time captain at the helm. The team also didn’t have anyone assigned as the head coach on their trip to South Africa for the marquee tournament. Lalchand Rajput served as the manager and in unison with Dhoni, made plans to bring glory to the nation. The team also executed the plans remarkably on the field as the Asian giants defeated Pakistan by five runs in a pulsating final in Johannesburg to win the title.

As India prepares to win their second title during next month’s T20 World Cup 2024 in the West Indies and the USA, we take a look at the performances of the players in the inaugural edition and what they are doing now.

Let’s take a look at the India 2007 T20 World Cup champions and where they are now:

15. Piyush Chawla

The leg-spinner was the only player in the Indian squad who didn’t get a single game during the 2007 T20 World Cup. Interestingly, Chawla was also a part of India’s ODI World Cup-winning squad in 2011 but played only three matches. The 35-year-old is still sweating it out in professional cricket and he recently played for Mumbai Indians in the 2024 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). In 11 matches, he bagged 13 wickets at an average of 24.

14. Ajit Agarkar

Agarkar was the most experienced pacer in the Indian squad and was expected to be the spearhead of the bowling line-up. However, he bowled in just a couple of matches and picked up just one wicket against Pakistan. The Mumbai cricketer is currently the chief selector of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

13. Yusuf Pathan

The destructive batter made his India debut in the finals against Pakistan. He replaced the injured Virender Sehwag in the high-voltage clash and played a brisk 15-run knock off eight balls. After retiring from all forms of cricket in February 2021, Yusuf ventured into politics earlier this year, as he was named as the Trinamool Congress (TMC) candidate from West Bengal’s Berhampore seat before the Lok Sabha polls.

12. Dinesh Karthik

With Dhoni donning the wicketkeeping gloves, Dinesh Karthik played as a specialist middle-order batter in the first half of the tournament. However, his most memorable moment in the competition came in the match against South Africa, where he took a spectacular diving catch to dismiss Graeme Smith. This was arguably the catch of the tournament. Karthik received a guard of honour from his Royal Challengers Bengaluru teammates after their elimination in IPL 2024. However, the Tamil Nadu cricketer is yet to officially announce his retirement.

11. S Sreesanth

S Sreesanth played seven matches and picked up six wickets at an average of 30.50 and a strike rate of 23. He conceded runs at an economy rate of 7.95. The Kerala speedster also took the all-important catch of Misbah-ul-Haq in the last over of the final to help India win the title. After this, Sreesanth faced a lifetime ban for allegedly being involved in the IPL spot-fixing scandal in 2013. The ban was subsequently reduced to seven years but it took a lot of time away from his playing career. Finally, he returned to domestic cricket in 2021 and eventually retired the following year. Of late, he has been working as a commentator and an expert.

10. Joginder Sharma

The right-arm pacer went on to become the sleeper hit for the Indian team. He picked up four wickets in as many matches and bowled the high-pressure last over in the final against Pakistan. Joginder had 13 runs to defend against a well-set Misbah. The speedster conceded seven runs from the first two balls before dismissing the right-handed batter for 43 and giving India a monumental win. Joginder went on to join Haryana Police and is currently the Deputy Superintendent of Police of Ambala.

9. Robin Uthappa

Robin Uthappa played in all seven matches and scored 113 runs from six innings at an average of 18.83 and a strike rate of 113. He scored a crucial half-century against Pakistan in a group match. Uthappa bid farewell to the sport in September 2022 and has been working as a commentator and an expert since then.

8. RP Singh

The left-arm seamer emerged as the leading wicket-taker for India in the 2007 T20 World Cup, with 12 wickets from seven matches at an average of 12.66 and a strike rate of 12. He finished only behind Umar Gul on the list of highest wicket-takers in the tournament. The Pakistan pacer had 13 wickets to his name. RP Singh has established himself as a revered figure in Hindi commentary after retiring from cricket in September 2018.

7. Irfan Pathan

The all-rounder didn’t play much of a part with the bat, but he was one of Dhoni’s go-to men with the ball. Irfan scalped 10 wickets from six innings, including a decisive three-for against Pakistan in the summit clash. The Baroda cricketer retired in 2020 but continues to score handsomely in Legends Leagues around the world. He is also one of the most popular commentators, who doesn’t shy away from speaking his mind.

6. Rohit Sharma

The current India captain made his T20I debut in the match against England but didn’t get to bat. However, in his second appearance, Rohit smashed an unbeaten 40-ball 50 against the Proteas to orchestrate a 37-run win for India. In the finals, the Mumbai batter scored an unbeaten 30 off 16 balls to help India get past the 150-run mark. That whirlwind knock proved to be the difference in the end. Rohit would want to take India the distance in the forthcoming T20 World Cup.

5. Harbhajan Singh

The legendary off-spinner bagged seven wickets in as many games and was a key bowler for India in the middle overs. He finished with an average of 26 and a strike rate of 19.71. His economy rate was below 8, which was quite decent on pitches not conducive for spinners. Harbhajan retired from cricket in December 2021 and has made himself a popular figure in the Hindi commentary circuit, lending his voice in various significant tournaments.

4. Virender Sehwag

The iconic opener didn’t set the stage ablaze with big scores but provided some quickfire starts for India. He scored 133 runs in five innings at an average of 26.60 and a strike rate of 138.54. After bringing the curtains down on an illustrious playing career in 2015, Sehwag ventured into commentary and is known for his straightforward takes on the sport and the players.

3. Gautam Gambhir

Gautam Gambhir finished as the second-highest run-getter in the tournament, with 227 runs from six innings, averaging 37.83 at a strike rate of 129.71. He scored a mesmerising 75 off 54 balls, hitting eight fours and two sixes in the summit clash. The southpaw retired in March 2019. He has donned several hats since his retirement. Gambhir has worked as a commentator before joining politics. Earlier this year, he left politics to focus on his coaching career. The 42-year-old had been the mentor for Lucknow Super Giants in 2022 and 2023. Ahead of IPL 2024, he joined KKR as a mentor.

2. Yuvraj Singh

Yuvraj Singh played a pivotal role for India in their World Cup wins in 2007 and 2011. The legendary all-rounder scored 148 runs from five innings at an average of 29.60. His strike rate was an awe-inspiring 194.73. One of the highlights in Yuvraj’s career is the six sixes he hit in a Stuart Broad over in the game against England. The elegant left-handed batter also slammed a 30-ball 70 in the semifinals against Australia. The Punjab cricketer has been named as one of the ambassadors of the T20 World Cup 2024. The 42-year-old retired in June 2019 but continues to follow the game closely. He has also mentored some of the talented young cricketers from Punjab like Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma.

1. MS Dhoni

The legendary Indian captain showed glimpses of his excellent man-management skills by keeping the team together throughout the tournament. He also showed his ability to use his resources to perfection. With the bat, Dhoni played a vital 45-run knock off 33 balls against South Africa. His 18-ball 36 against the Aussies in the semifinals was also a very impactful innings. In December 2014, Dhoni retired from Test cricket. However, he continued representing India in the shorter formats till August 2020. The 42-year-old recently played for Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2024. Many predicted that it could be the stalwart’s last dance as a professional cricket. However, he hasn’t made any official announcement about his retirement.