Great teams in sports have earned nicknames that have gone on to be synonymous with the team itself, a great example in cricket being ‘The Invincibles’, the great Australian team in the 1940s captained by none other than Sir Donald Bradman. In football, ‘The Busby Babes’, Manchester United’s great team in the late 1940s and 1950s coached by Matt Busby earned the nickname for the youngsters in the team who went on to perform remarkably. Surely, the Indian team led by Sourav Ganguly in the early 2000s deserve a nickname, having immortalised themselves by chasing 326 against England in the final of the Natwest Series in 2002.
The group of players achieved a remarkable feat, ensuring a place in history by recording the highest successful run chase in cricket history at that point. Also, that win sparked a revolution in the way cricket was played in India and created a sense of belief in the squad.
We take a look back at the playing XI of the final against England and where they are now:
1) Virender Sehwag
A dashing 24 year old at that stage, Virender Sehwag was just establish himself as one of the most aggressive openers in the world. Today, Sehwag is the founder of the Sehwag International School in Jhajjar, Haryana. The school boasts of advanced sports facilities and highly proficient faculty for students to learn varied sports but also the spirit of sportsmanship. Sehwag is also an esteemed cricket commentator, lending his voice to Hindi commentary. At the same time, he is a full time legend on social media as seen below:
2) Sourav Ganguly
Sourav Ganguly was at the peak of the powers at this stage, heralding a chance in the way India played cricket as its captain. Today, he is omnipresent in the world of cricket. He shuffles between being President of the Cricket Association of Bengal, Chairman of BCCI’s Technical Committee, member of the IPL governing council and a member of the Cricket Advisory Committee. He is also one of the owners of successful ISL team Atletico de Kolkata. Whew! What a rockstar!
3) Dinesh Mongia
Dinesh Mongia was a solid performer in the one-day format of the game, without reaching the heights he would have envisaged for himself. Today, he is the coach of the DAV College in Chandigarh, his alma-mater. He also ran his own academy, ‘The Dinesh Mongia Cricket School of Excellence’ at the college premises. He also runs his own cricket kit brand called ‘DM’ which too, is located in the premises of the college.
In October of 2015, Mongia was named by former New Zealand cricketer Lou Vincent in the Chris Cairns perjury case as one of the six Chandigarh Lions players who were involved in match fixing, a claim Mongia had vehemently refuted.
4) Sachin Tendulkar
29 at that stage, Sachin Tendulkar had established himself as one of the best batsmen to have ever played the game. Today, the ‘Master Blaster’ is a member of parliament, having been nominated to the Rajya Sabha in 2012. The ‘Cricket All-stars series’, held in the United States in 2015 featuring some of the best cricketers in the world was his brainchild, along with Shane Warne. He is a member of the Cricket Advisory Committee, while also being one of the founders of the ISL team Kerala Blasters. He is also the mentor for the IPL team Mumbai Indians.
5) Rahul Dravid
Rahul Dravid was 29 too when the final was held and was establishing his reputation as one of the most solid batsmen in the world. Dravid was always regarded as one of the smartest players to play the game, thus it is no surprise that he has delved into coaching. Today, he is the coach of India’s U-19 and India A sides. He also plays the role of mentor for the IPL side Delhi Daredevils. To add to this, he is mentoring India's future Olympians and Paralympians as part of the Rahul Dravid Athlete Mentorship Programme in collaboration with the GoSports Foundation.
6) Yuvraj Singh
Yuvraj Singh was emerging as a breakout star with his brand of aggressive cricket, his hard hitting and exceptional fielding catching the eye. Today, he is one of India’s darlings having played such a major role in the 2007 World T20 and 2011 World Cup. He was part of the Sunrisers Hyderabad team that won the IPL in 2016. He is still playing cricket at large and is the vice-captain of the Punjab Ranji team, a team he has been part of for the last 20 years. He last represented India in the World T20 earlier this year.
7) Mohammad Kaif
After captaining India’s U-19 side in 2000, he had earned a place in the squad, forming a young core of the middle order with Yuvraj Singh. On that famed occasion, he was India’s hero, playing arguably the innings of his life. Today, Kaif is making a mark as a cricket expert. He is an esteemed writer and a regular columnist on our portal Sportskeeda. He also made a foray into the commentary box, where he enjoyed relative success.
8) Harbhajan Singh
Harbhajan Singh’s stock was at an all-time high at this stage, after dismantling Australia in 2001. Today, Harbhajan is the captain of the Punjab Ranji team, a team he has served with distinction since 1997. He is a vital cog in the Mumbai Indians setup, a team he has represented since the start of the IPL. He enjoyed a renaissance in his career, making a comeback in 2015 in all formats of the game. The larger than life character is experienced and will be hoping for one final hurrah with the Indian team.
9) Anil Kumble
Anil Kumble had established himself as India’s ace spinner and one of the best spinners in the world by that stage in 2002. Today, he is India’s head coach, a remarkable achievement, having retired less than a decade ago. India’s upcoming tour of West Indies will be his first assignment. After retirement, he forayed into cricket administration, proving to be an able administrator in a number of roles. He is the chairman of ICC’s cricket committee and he also runs his own sports grassroots and talent development company, TENVIC Sports Education Pvt Ltd.
10) Zaheer Khan
Zaheer Khan was at the peak of his career, picking up wickets aplenty and terrorising batsmen around the world. Today, he was the captain of a young Delhi Daredevils side that did well in the recently concluded IPL. There are also rumours that he might be appointed India’s next bowling coach, a role he should be a natural at.
11) Ashish Nehra
Ashish Nehra had formed a formidable bowling combination with Zaheer Khan, a combination that would go on to be very successful for India. Today, Ashish Nehra is recovering from the latest injury setback in his career. Remarkably, he is still playing with distinction for India. He was a part of the successful Sunrisers Hyderabad side in this IPL. Trust India’s ‘world cup’ man to make one last comeback.
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