MI playing 11 from Ajinkya Rahane's IPL debut in 2008 - where are they now?
Veteran Team Indian batter, who has also represented multiple teams in the IPL, Ajinkya Rahane is celebrating his 36th birthday on Thursday, June 6. Having made his international debut for India back in 2011, the right-handed batter has represented the country in 85 Tests, 90 ODIs and 20 T20Is.
Rahane has scored 5,077 runs in Test matches at an average of 38.46, with 12 hundreds and 26 fifties. In ODIs, he notched up 2,962 runs at an average of 35.26, hitting three hundreds and 24 half-centuries. In T20Is, the batter scored 375 runs at a strike rate of 113.29, with a best of 61.
Apart from representing India in international cricket for over a decade, Rahane is also one of the most experienced players in the IPL. In 185 matches, he has 4,642 runs to his name at an average of 30.14 and a strike rate of 123.42, with two hundreds and 30 fifties.
Rahane made his IPL debut for Mumbai Indians (MI) against Deccan Chargers (DC) at the Dr DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai during the inaugural edition of the T20 league in 2008. It was not a memorable first outing for the right-hander as he was dismissed for a duck by Sanjay Bangar.
On the occasion of Rahane's 36th birthday, we look at where his MI teammates from his IPL debut are now.
Openers: Luke Ronchi & Sanath Jayasuriya
A former New Zealand keeper-batter, Luke Ronchi announced his retirement from international cricket in June 2017, ending a career featuring four Tests, 85 ODIs and 33 T20Is. He is the batting coach of the Kiwi men's team. There were reports that he was also approached by the PCB for the role of Pakistan head coach.
Former Sri Lanka captain Sanath Jayasuriya is one of the legends of the game. He retired from international cricket in June 2011, having amassed over 21,000 international runs. Jayasuriya also picked up 440 wickets with his left-arm spin. In 2019, he was banned for two years for breaching ICC's anti-corruption code. In December 2023, he was appointed Sri Lanka's cricket consultant for one year.
Middle-order & All-rounders: Robin Uthappa, Shaun Pollock, Abhishek Nayar, Dwayne Bravo and Siddharth Chitnis
Following an unfulfilled international career, Robin Uthappa announced his retirement from all forms of Indian cricket in September 2022. While he did not taste much success in international cricket, Uthappa won the IPL twice, with Kolkata Knight Riders in 2014 and with Chennai Super Kings in 2021. These days, he appears as an analyst and commentator on TV and live streaming platforms.
South Africa's legendary all-rounder Shaun Pollock was the captain of the MI team in Rahane's debut match in the IPL. Following a stellar career for the Proteas, Pollock announced his international retirement in 2008. He played only one IPL season. Pollock is one of the commentators in the ongoing T20 World Cup.
Abhishek Nayar, a former all-rounder from Mumbai, played three ODIs for India in 2009, but did not get a chance to make much of an impact. His first-class career ended in 2018 with 103 matches in which he scored 5,749 runs and picked up 173 wickets. Nayar is the assistant coach of the KKR franchise, which won IPL 2024.
Former West Indies captain Dwayne Bravo retired from international cricket after Windies' match against Australia in the 2021 T20 World Cup. Bravo continued to play the IPL for CSK before announcing his retirement in December 2022. He subsequently took over as the bowling coach of the Chennai franchise.
Siddharth Chitnis, a right-handed batter and off-spinner from Mumbai, played four first-class matches, 12 List A games and 34 T20s. He has a best of 100* in List A matches. Chitnis last turned out for Kandy Customs Cricket Club against Galle Cricket Club in the Major League Tournament in Colombo in September 2022.
Bowlers: Musavir Khote, Ashish Nehra and Dhawal Kulkarni
A medium pacer who represented Mumbai and Railways in domestic cricket, Musavir Khote played three first-class matches, 10 List A games and 11 T20s, claiming four, 13 and six wickets respectively. He last featured in the 2011 Vijay Hazare Trophy for Railways against Rajasthan, claiming one wicket and scoring an unbeaten 30.
After an injury-hit career, former India left-arm pacer Ashish Nehra called it a day in October 2017, having played 17 Tests, 120 ODIs and 26 T20Is. He is the current head coach of Gujarat Titans (GT) in the IPL. Under his guidance, GT won the T20 league in their maiden season in 2022 and finished runners-up in 2023.
A medium pacer from Mumbai, Dhawal Kulkarni played 12 ODIs and two T20Is for India between 2014 and 2016. He featured in 96 first-class games, claiming 285 scalps. Kulkarni retired from the game after featuring in Mumbai's 2024 Ranji Trophy triumph.