Rajasthan Royals - 2008 IPL champions: Where is each player now?
India won the inaugural World T20 in 2007 and the T20 fever took over the entire country at once. The idea of franchise based T20 competition was implicated by the BCCI the very next year and this led to the inception of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Players from around the world were bought by the eight Indian city-based franchises in an auction before the tournament. While seven of the teams bagged a number of stars, the Rajasthan Royals went the financially prudent way.
Wth the auction drawing to a close, the Rajasthan Royals (RR) looked like one of the weakest sides in the League compared to the other teams and were considered as underdogs.
Following a heavy defeat in the opening game of the tournament, the Royals turned things around and by the end of the league stage, they were at the top of the points table with 11 wins in 14 matches. The Shane Warne-led side trounced Delhi Daredevils in the semis and completed their magical run with a victory over the Chennai Super Kings in a last-ball thriller to be crowned the first IPL champions.
The members of the winning team were honoured beyond their wildest imaginations, from global recognition to individual honours. For many of them, their careers kick-started from that point onwards.
But as the years have passed, many have faded away in our memory. So, where are those champions now? It’s time to find out:
#1. Niraj Patel
The left-handed opening batsman from Ahmedabad played some crunch games for the Royals and opened the innings for his side. His most revered knock saw him score a nerveless 40 off just 29 balls to help his side steal a last-ball win over Mumbai Indians in the league stage.
The 35-year-old cricketer has a decent first-class record and still plays first-class cricket for Gujarat. Though his chances of securing a spot in the national team look slim, his presence in the Gujarat team looks assuring.