Be it his decision to pick the likes of Virender Sehwag and Robin Uthappa for the bowl-out against Pakistan or the all-important choice of Joginder Sharma for the most important over of his life in the final, Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s composure and intuition carried the day in South Africa, where he was also India’s second-highest run-scorer. Having announced his retirement from international cricket in August 2020, Dhoni is currently preparing for next year’s IPL, where many believe he will bid farewell to his beloved Chennai Super Kings (CSK). Unlike last year’s T20 World Cup in the UAE, when Dhoni was part of the Indian setup as mentor, 2022 will not see the former skipper involved in any capacity with the Men in Blue
Pictures: BCCI
Smashing a quickfire 40 off 17 balls while chasing a steep 191 against New Zealand and a well-paced 68 off 52 against England remain two of Virender Sehwag’s biggest contributions en route to the World T20 trophy. These days, Sehwag’s big hits invariably come in the commentary box or on Twitter, where the ex-India opener has developed quite the following. Since retiring from the game in 2015, Sehwag has also been involved with his school, Sehwag International, which ranks among the finest schools for aspiring athletes in the country
The man who held the Indian batting together in the all-important final against Pakistan, Gautam Gambhir has long been the unsung hero of famous Indian triumphs. Were it not for his excellent 75 at the Wanderers, during which he almost carried his bat through the innings, India would probably not have been world champions. Presently, Gambhir is a Member of the Lok Sabha (representing the BJP) besides filling in as commentator, and since last year, the mentor of Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL
Sealing the first-ever World Cup bowl-out in India’s favour with the iconic hats-off-bow celebration remains an unforgettable moment from Robin Uthappa. Most, however, tend to forget that in the same game (against Pakistan), it was Uthappa who had stabilised the Indian innings with a crucial 50 off 39. Last month, Uthappa announced his retirement from all forms of cricket, including the IPL, leaving the door open for a vast number of post-cricket options, including the inevitable stint in commentary
Dinesh Karthik was a part of India’s first-ever T20I and is now heading to the latest edition of the World Cup in swashbuckling form as India’s finisher-in-chief. We are all pleased to see that DK has taken a U-turn from commentary (notwithstanding his wit on air) and is hopefully going to play a few match-winning innings Down Under. His biggest contribution from the World Cup in South Africa was a stunning catch to dismiss Graeme Smith as well as two stumpings against the host nation in a must-win affair
Having played pivotal, unbeaten knocks of 50 and 30 against South Africa and Pakistan, respectively, in the 2007 World T20, Rohit Sharma heads into Australia as Indian captain for the first time in a World Cup. While a lot has changed in Rohit’s looks and experience since 2007, the characteristic lazy elegance, especially when playing off the back-foot, has endured
Nobody can or will forget Yuvraj Singh’s six sixes off Stuart Broad against England in 2007, but his stellar 70 off 30 against Australia in the semi-finals was arguably more important in India’s eventual triumph. After overcoming his battle with cancer and returning to the Indian team in 2016-17, Yuvraj announced his retirement from international cricket in 2019, though he still plays franchise T20 cricket every now and then. That apart, his organisation, YouWeCan, continues to make a difference by assisting cancer patients through awareness generation, screening, treatment support and survivor empowerment
One of India’s finest limited overs all-rounders, Irfan Pathan made the ball sing in the finals against Pakistan with a man-of-the-match spell of three for 16 in his four overs. Irfan is now a regular feature in the commentary box in both English and Hindi. His keen perception of the game has made him a fantastic analyst, while his sense of humour rarely disappoints. Outside cricket, Irfan recently starred in a Tamil movie named Cobra (streaming on SonyLIV)
Making his T20I debut for India in the 2007 World T20 final, Yusuf Pathan replaced an injured Sehwag and got India off to a flyer against Pakistan. Yusuf announced his retirement from all forms of cricket in February 2021, although he can still swing the long handle in exhibition tournaments across the country. Along with Irfan, Yusuf runs the Cricket Academy of Pathans, which has several branches across the country
A decent spell of one for 35 against Pakistan in 2007 proved to be an early swansong for Ajit Agarkar in Indian colours, but the Mumbaikar was nonetheless vital in guiding the young Indian pacers for the rest of the tournament. Of late, Agarkar has been one of the most respected cricket experts on television, especially when it comes to defending bowlers (surprise, surprise!). He was also a part of the Delhi Capitals coaching staff in last season’s IPL
Harbhajan Singh’s best performance from the 2007 World T20 would probably be his spell of two for 24 against New Zealand, incidentally the only game India lost in the tournament. Presently, the Turbanator is a frequent voice on commentary as well as a nominated member of the Rajya Sabha from the Aam Aadmi Party
Picking up 12 wickets in the tournament, Rudra Pratap Singh was India’s most consistent bowler in the inaugural World T20. His spell against South Africa, where he picked up four for just 13, is still considered one of the best bowling performances at a World Cup. Currently a cricket analyst, R.P. mainly does Hindi commentary
Getting rid of Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden in the semi-final and grabbing the World Cup-winning catch in the final were Sreesanth’s signature contributions in 2007. Since then, his career, even life, has wobbled far more than his seam ever did, with forays into Bigg Boss as well as Dance India Dance alongside appearances in Hindi, Malayalam and Kannada films. In March this year, Sreesanth, long removed from consistent, competitive cricket, announced his retirement from the game
Currently serving as a deputy superintendent in Haryana Police, Joginder Sharma’s heroics from the last over against Misbah-ul-Haq have become a part of Indian cricket folklore. Even though his playing career never quite took off after the magical moment in Johannesburg, India’s story in the T20 World Cup can never be told without this diminutive medium-pacer
