India's XI on Yuvraj Singh's ODI debut: Where are they now?
As many as eight Indian cricketers made their ODI debut in 2000: Only two out of them went on to play a World Cup for India. One of them was a tall, left-handed pacer from Shrirampur, Maharashtra, while the other was a hard hitting batsman from Chandigarh. Their careers started off together against Kenya at Nairobi, but few would have predicted that the two will play stellar roles in India’s World Cup triumph eleven years later.
Yuvraj Singh and Zaheer Khan, along with Vijay Dahiya, made their ODI debut for the Indian team in the first pre-quarterfinals of the ICC Knock-out Trophy, the erstwhile version of the ICC Champions Trophy. While Yuvraj Singh, not currently in the scheme of things, is still an international cricketer, Zaheer Khan retired last year after completing a memorable career as one of the most reliable match winners with the ball.
On the occasion of Yuvraj’s 35th birthday, we take a look at what transpired with the careers of the other ten people who made were part of the team that featured the 19-year old debutant:
Sourav Ganguly
Instrumental in infusing fresh blood in the Indian team after the turn of this millennium, Ganguly was the captain of the side that featured three debutants in India’s fixture against Kenya. He made a stroke-filled 66 at the top of the order, leading India’s charge on their humble target of 206.
While 2000 marked the initiation of many youngsters, it was also a coming of age for the Prince of Calcutta, who was entrusted with the reins of the national side after the match-fixing fiasco endangered Team India’s future.
He endured a torrid form in 2005, and his tumultuous relation with coach Greg Chappell led to his ouster from the side. He made a sensational comeback the very next year, proving his mettle in South Africa and turning out for the team till 2008.
The current president of the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB), he also dabbles in commentary and match analysis, apart from co-owning the ISL (Indian Super League) side Atletico de Kolkata, his hometown side.