3 Indian cricketers the last appearance of whose careers came in a World Cup final

Playing a World Cup final is the dream of every cricketer. A World Cup final receives high viewership numbers, and the atmosphere inside the stadium remains unmatched.

In the past, the World Cups used to be held once every four years, but since the introduction of T20 World Cups, fans get to witness a global event once every one or two years. Two T20 World Cup tournaments took place in the last two years, while a Cricket World Cup will be staged later this year in India.

Few cricketers have achieved the feat of playing at a World Cup final. For some, it also proved to be the last match of their careers. Here's a list of three such Indian cricketers:

---

#1 Joginder Sharma

Former Indian all-rounder Joginder Sharma announced his retirement from all formats of cricket earlier today. Sharma played for India in the T20 World Cup 2007. In fact, it was his debut tournament, where he represented the Men in Blue in four matches.

Sharma picked up four wickets in four matches at an economy rate of 9.52. He did not get a chance to bat. The 39-year-old never played Test cricket, but took part in four ODIs for India, scoring 35 runs and picking up one wicket.

The medium pace-bowling all-rounder's last match took place way back in 2007. Sharma bowled a match-winning spell of 2/20 in the final against Pakistan. He defended 13 runs off the last over and picked up Misbah-ul-Haq's wicket to help India win. Surprisingly, he was never picked in the Indian team again.

---

#2 Javagal Srinath

India's Javagal Srinath, right, appeals for lbw (Image: Getty)

Javagal Srinath was one of the top pace bowlers in Indian cricket during his prime. He played 67 Test matches and 229 ODI games for the Indian team. Srinath picked up 236 Test wickets and 315 ODI wickets.

Unfortunately, the right-arm pacer did not have a memorable ending to his career. His last appearance for India came in a World Cup final against Australia. Back in 2003, the Men in Blue battled the Aussies in the final of the 50-over World Cup.

Srinath bowled a spell of 0/83 in the final match of his career. India lost that match by a big margin of 125 runs.

---

#3 Sreesanth

Another former Indian fast bowler to feature on the list is Sreesanth. The Kerala-based pacer played a key role in India's 2007 T20 World Cup win. He was also a part of the Indian squad that lifted the Cricket World Cup in 2011.

Sreesanth replaced the injured Ashish Nehra in the Indian playing XI for the 2011 World Cup final. He bowled eight overs in the match, conceding 52 runs without taking any wickets. That night proved to be Sreesanth's last in the Indian ODI team.

He has played a total of 53 ODIs for India, scalping 75 wickets.