Mumbai Indians playing 11 from Yuzvendra Chahal's IPL debut in 2013 - where are they now?
Senior Team India leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal is celebrating his 34th birthday on Tuesday, July 23. Born in Jind, Haryana, the talented cricketer has represented India in 72 ODIs and 80 T20Is. Chahal has 121 wickets to his credit in the one-day format at an average of 27.13, with two five-fers. In T20Is, he has 96 scalps at a strike rate of 18.3, with a best of 6-25.
Chahal is Team India's leading wicket-taker in the T20I format. Seasoned pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar is the only other Indian bowler with 90 or more wickets in the format, while Jasprit Bumrah has claimed 89 scalps from 70 matches and all-rounder Hardik Pandya 84 from 100 games.
Looking at his performance in the Indian Premier League (IPL), the 34-year-old is the leading wicket-taker in the T20 competition, with 205 wickets from 160 matches at an average of 22.44 and an economy rate of 7.84. He claimed 139 wickets for his former franchise Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and has picked up 66 scalps for his current franchise Rajasthan Royals (RR).
Chahal made his IPL debut for Mumbai Indians (MI) against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at Eden Gardens in Kolkata in April 2013. He registered figures of 0-34 from four overs even as MI won the game by five wickets. On that note, let's take a look at where the leg-spinner's teammates from his IPL debut game are now.
Openers: Dwayne Smith & Sachin Tendulkar
West Indies' Dwayne Smith, who smashed 62 off 45 in Chahal's IPL debut match, announced his international retirement at the age of 33 in March 2017. His last international match was in the 2015 World Cup against the UAE. He was dismissed for 15 off nine balls. Smith (41) recently represented West Indies Champions in the World Championship of Legends, scoring 64 off 40 against Australia.
Sachin Tendulkar retired from international cricket in November 2013. Even a decade after retirement, he remains the all-time leading run-getter in international cricket. The 51-year-old led India Legends in the Road Safety World Series in 2022. He also serves as a mentor of the Mumbai Indians franchise in the IPL.
Middle order batters: Dinesh Karthik, Rohit Sharma, Kieron Pollard, Ambati Rayudu
Veteran keeper-batter Dinesh Karthik announced his retirement from all forms of cricket on June 1 this year. The Tamil Nadu cricketer signed off on a high, smashing 326 runs for RCB at a strike rate of 187.36 in IPL 2024. Karthik ended his IPL career with 4842 runs from 257 matches. The 39-year-old, who represented India in 180 matches, had taken up commentary during his playing days.
Rohit Sharma led India to victory in the 2024 T20 World Cup held in West Indies and United States. The triumph ended India's 11-year wait for an ICC trophy. Rohit announced his retirement from T20Is after the win but will lead the Men in Blue in the upcoming ODI series in Sri Lanka.
After an impressive career, West Indies' batting all-rounder Kieron Pollard announced his retirement from international cricket in April 2022 and from the IPL in November 2022. He is now the batting coach of Mumbai Indians. The 37-year-old is currently leading MI New York in Major League Cricket.
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) batter Ambati Rayudu announced his IPL retirement after the 2023 final. CSK won the game by beating Gujarat Titans (GT) at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Rayudu contributed a crucial cameo of 19 in eight balls. He now works as a commentator and analyst.
Bowlers: Harbhajan Singh, Mitchell Johnson, Lasith Malinga, Pragyan Ojha
Veteran off-spinner Harbhajan Singh announced his retirement from all forms of cricket in December 2021. Despite being out of favor in the last few years, he remains one of India's leading wicket-takers. The 44-year-old was part of the India Champions squad that won the 2024 World Championship of Legends. He claimed eight wickets in seven matches.
Former Australian left-arm seamer Mitchell Johnson, who claimed 2-26 in Chahal's IPL debut game, retired from all forms of international cricket in November 2015 and from all forms of cricket in 2018. He was in the news last year for his scathing attack on former teammate David Warner in a newspaper column.
Former Sri Lanka and Mumbai Indians fast bowler, Lasith Malinga, who claimed 2-25 in Chahal's IPL debut clash, announced his retirement from all forms of cricket in September 2021. He subsequently took up a coaching stint with Rajasthan Royals in the IPL, Chahal's current franchise. He returned to Mumbai Indians as bowling coach ahead of the 2024 season.
Pragyan Ojha also impressed with 2-21 in Chahal's IPL debut match. The former left-arm spinner retired from all forms of cricket in February 2020. The 37-year-old represented Urbanrisers Hyderabad in the 2023-24 Legends League Cricket. He also works as a commentator and analyst.