India's playing 11 from 2003 World Cup final vs Australia ft. Zaheer Khan, Dinesh Mongia - where are they now?
Team India have a glorious chance to win their third ODI World Cup title, but meet a familiar foe in the form of Australia. The Aussies have proved to be major obstacles in India's attempts to win silverware, such as during the 2003 ODI World Cup final. the 2015 ODI World Cup semi-final as well as the 2023 World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The 2003 ODI World Cup final, in particular, was a scar that required a long time to heal. The Indian side led by Sourav Ganguly were defeated comprehensively by a dominant Australian outfit, who arguably ruled for most of the decade.
Despite the mammoth defeat in the end, Team India's 2003 ODI World Cup campaign holds of great importance since it arguably kickstarted an era. Several players from the same squad went on to lift the title eight years later and played vital role in India's growth and dominance in the sport.
With the Men in Blue having set a date with the Australians yet again, let us take a look at how are the members from the 2003 ODI World Cup squad faring now.
Top order - Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and Sourav Ganguly
The trio of Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and Virender Sehwag served in the Indian top order for quite a while and were prolific in their approach and results.
Tendulkar retired from the sport in 2013, serving as Mumbai Indians' (MI) mentor in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and continues to be a prominent presence in the cricketing scene. He was recently seen attending the 2023 ODI World Cup semi-final encounter between India and New Zealand at the Wankhede Stadium.
Sehwag ended his career as a player in 2015. He was among the coaching staff members for the Kings XI Punjab (now renamed as Punjab Kings) in the IPL. Furthermore, he currently as the member of the Anti Doping Appeal Panel of the National Anti Doping Agency and was recently inducted into the ICC Hall Of Fame alongwith Diana Edulji and Aravinda de Silva. He also runs a school as well as a cricket academy alongwith his broadcast duties as a pundit.
Meanwhile, Ganguly's fruitful international career ended in 2008, but he played in the IPL for a few seasons before retiring from all forms of cricket. He served as BCCI president from 2019 to 2022, and is currently the director of cricket for the Delhi Capitals (DC) in the IPL.
Middle order- Mohammad Kaif, Rahul Dravid, Yuvraj Singh, and Dinesh Mongia
Mohammad Kaif was a handy batter for India at the turn of the century and also a gun fielder. His last international appearance came in 2006, but he continued playing cricket at the domestic level till 2018, before retiring from the sport. He has pivoted to broadcasting and coaching, having served for the Gujarat Lions and the Delhi Capitals in the IPL.
Rahul Dravid ended his glorious career almost a decade after the infamous 2003 ODI World Cup final. Since his retirement, he has primarily been involved in coaching, starting with the Rajasthan Royals (RR), which led to him being the head coach of the India A and U-19 sides, and was in charge of the National Cricket Academy (NCA) as well. He was appointed as Team India's head coach in 2021, a role he holds to this day.
All-rounder Yuvraj Singh was part of the 2011 ODI World Cup winning squad, but the latter years of his career were marred with his battle against cancer, with his last international appearance coming in 2017. He was part of T20 franchise leagues before announcing retirement from all forms of the game. Yuvraj recently became a father for the second time in August 2023.
Dinesh Mongia, who bowled seven overs in the 2003 ODI World Cup final, made his final international appearance in 2006 and eventually announced his retirement in 2019. He was involved in politics, joining the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2021 ahead of the 2022 Punjab Legistlative elections. He was recently announced as the head coach of the Odisha domestic side.
Bowlers - Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Javagal Srinath, and Ashish Nehra
Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan and Ashish Nehra were all part of India's 2011 World Cup-winning squad.
Harbhajan has been involved in politics since his retirement and is also seen as a cricket pundit.
Zaheer Khan, on the other hand, apart from making sporadic appearances as a pundit, has a major role withing the global framework of the Mumbai Indians setup.
Javagal Srinath is a distinguished member of the ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees, and was recently seen officiating the second semi-final encounter between Australia and South Africa at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
Ashish Nehra, meanwhile, has progressed in the same path as his fellow left-arm pacer Zaheer since retirement. He is currently the head coach of the Gujarat Titans in the IPL and is also a quick-witted cricket pundit.