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.
#2. Swapnil Asnodkar
The attacking batsman from Goa was one of the tournament's brightest stars. The diminutive right-hander scored 311 runs in 9 matches with a strike-rate of 133.37 in the tournament, which evoked the memories of Sri Lankan opener Romesh Kaluwitharana for many fans.
The 32-year-old cricketer still plays regular first-class cricket for Goa in various first-class tournaments. He is a crucial member of the Goa team and has also captained them in the recent past. Asnodkar has never been able to knock on the doors of the national side but featured in the India Blue colours in the Challengers Trophy.
#3. Kamran Akmal
The wicketkeeper-batsman from Pakistan was one of the foreign players in the team. The explosive attacking batsman scored 128 runs in 6 matches with a strike-rate of 164.10 and also performed the wicket-keeping duties for his side.
Akmal used to play for the Pakistan national team in all the international formats and last represented his country in 2014. He is currently fighting for his spot in domestic cricket.
#4. Shane Watson
The Australian all-rounder was clearly the best player of the entire tournament and was rightfully awarded the player of the tournament trophy. He played 15 matches in the tournament and scored 472 runs whilst also picking up 17 wickets.
The 34-year-old recently retired from international cricket. He had a wonderful career playing for Australia in all the formats. His international career rejuvenated following his superb showing in the IPL. He is playing for Royal Challengers Bangalore in this year’s IPL.
#5. Yusuf Pathan
The Baroda-born all-rounder was one of the standout performers in the tournament. His big hitting ability and ruthless approach enlisted him as one of the world’s fiercest hitters. He scored 435 runs at a massive strike-rate of 179 in 16 matches in the tournament and also picked up eight wickets.
The 33-year-old cricketer has represented India in the limited-overs format but currently is not a part of the team. Yusuf played his last international match in 2012 and currently plays first-class cricket for Baroda and is eying a spot in the national side. He has been part of the Kolkata Knight Riders since 2011.
#6. Mohammad Kaif
The Allahabad-born middle-order batsman was a vital part of the winning team. The right-handed batsman scored 176 runs in 16 matches and also contributed with his outstanding athleticism on the field.
The 35-year-old cricketer has previously represented India in both Tests and ODIs but hasn’t featured since 2006. Although he still plays first-class cricket for Andhra Pradesh and was their captain last season.
#7. Ravindra Jadeja
The Saurashtra cricketer was one of those players whose career sky-rocketed after IPL 2008. He was one of the brightest young talents of the inaugural season and featured in 14 matches. He scored 135 runs at and strike-rate of 131 and also contributed with his world-class fielding ability.
Jadeja made his international debut next year in Colombo against Sri Lanka and since then he has cemented his spot in the limited-overs format and now is an important part of the Test team too. He did not pick up a single wicket in IPL 2008 but is now one of the premium Indian spinners currently plying his trade for the Gujarat Lions.
#8. Shane Warne
The legendary Australian was his side’s premier spinner and the captain of the team as well as the coach. The leggie picked up 19 wickets in 15 matches with an average of 21.26 and also scored 70 runs in the tournament, while also hitting the winning run in the final.
He had already retired from international cricket before the start of the tournament. Since the tournament, he continued to lead the Royals unti 2011. He also led the Melbourne Stars in the Big Bash League. In 2013, he officially retired from all formats and since then has worked as a cricket commentator, and has also appeared in reality shows.
#9. Sohail Tanvir
The Pakistani pacer was the highest wicket-taker of the tournament for which he was awarded the Purple Cap. He picked up 22 wickets in 11 IPL matches that season with an outstanding average of 10.09.
The 31-year-old represented his nation in all the international formats but is currently out of the team. He played his last international match in 2015 against England in Sharjah. Tanvir still plays first-class cricket for Rawalpindi and had also featured in the inaugural PSL for Karachi Kings.
#10. Siddharth Trivedi
The right-arm fast bowler from Ahmedabad was one of the key members of the IPL winning team. He played 15 matches in the tournament and picked up 13 wickets with a strike-rate of 22.1.
In 2013, Trivedi was banned for 1 year after he failed to report that the bookies approached him though he wasn’t involved in spot-fixing during the IPL corruption scandal in 2013. Currently, he plays for Saurashtra upon his return to first-class cricket and has previously played for Gujarat.
#11.Munaf Patel
The right-arm pacer from Gujarat was one of the premier fast bowlers of the tournament. He played 15 matches in that title-winning campaign and picked up 14 wickets with an average of 23.5 and with an economy rate of 7.63.
The 32-year-old cricketer has represented India in all the formats and was also a part of the World Cup-winning side in 2011. However, he hasn’t played an international match since 2011. Apart from Rajasthan Royals he also played for Mumbai Indians but currently is without an IPL team.
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