5 players who you didn't know played in Rohit Sharma's international debut in 2007 ft. Dinesh Karthik

Star Indian batter Rohit Sharma had made his international debut for India on this day in 2007. It was on June 23 in 2007 where he played his first international fixture for India, which was an ODI against Ireland at Belfast.

India bowled first in the game and skittled hosts Ireland out for just 193 runs. They were then set a revised target of 171 runs from 39 overs. Sourav Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar opened the batting. While Tendulkar was dismissed for four, Ganguly went on to score an unbeaten 73. He was joined by Gautam Gambhir at number three, who also remained unbeaten on 80 as India won the game with nine wickets to spare.

Unfortunately for Rohit Sharma, he did not get an opportunity to bat on his international debut. Nonetheless, Rohit has gone on to represent the country in 273 ODIs, 159 T20Is, and 67 Tests.

On the occasion of his international debut anniversary, let us take a look at five players who you did not know also played in his international debut match.

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#5 William Porterfield

Ireland v Zimbabwe - 1st Dafanews International Cup ODI - Source: Getty

Former Ireland opener and captain William Porterfield was a part of the Ireland team in Rohit Sharma's debut international game. The left-hander, opening the batting, scored 16 runs off 46 balls with two boundaries.

Porterfield went on to represent his country in 148 ODIs, making 4343 runs at an average of 30.58 with 11 hundreds and 20 fifties. He also played 61 T20Is and three Tests for Ireland in his international career, having announced his retirement in 2022 after playing for 16 long years.

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#4 Kevin O'Brien

Ireland v Netherlands - ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2021 - Source: Getty

Former Ireland all-rounder Kevin O'Brien also played in Rohit Sharma's international debut. Kevin made three runs off 11 balls in that match and returned with figures of 0/25 from the four overs that he bowled.

Kevin O'Brien, who retired from international cricket in 2022, played three Tests, 153 ODIs, and 110 T20Is for Ireland. The former all-rounder is famously remembered for his heroics during the 2011 World Cup, where he smashed a 50-ball hundred against England in Bengaluru as Ireland registered a stunning three-wicket victory.

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#3 Ajit Agarkar

Captain Rohit Sharma And Chief Selector Ajit Agarkar Address Press Conference On Asia Cup Team - Source: Getty

Former India pacer Ajit Agarkar played for the Men in Blue in Rohit Sharma's international debut. Agarkar bowled an impressive spell in the game, returning with figures of 1/27 from his ten overs.

The right-arm quick played 26 Tests, 191 ODIs, and four T20Is for India in his international career. Agarkar, like Rohit, also hails from Mumbai. The former pacer is currently the chief selector of the senior Indian men's cricket team as well.

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#2 Piyush Chawla

IPL 2023: Eliminator - Lucknow Super Giants v Mumbai Indians - Source: Getty

Piyush Chawla, who recently announced his retirement from international cricket at 36, was a part of the game in 2007 against Ireland. The former Indian wrist spinner was the pick of the bowlers in that match, scalping three wickets, giving away just 29 runs from 10 overs.

Chawla played three Tests, 25 ODIs and seven T20Is for India. He also played three seasons for the Mumbai Indians (MI) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) with Rohit Sharma as his teammate at the franchise in 2021, 2023, and 2024.

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#1 Dinesh Karthik

India Net Session - Source: Getty

Former Indian wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik played the 2007 ODI against Ireland, with MS Dhoni not a part of the team in that game. While Dinesh Karthik did not get an opportunity to bat in the game, he did take a couple of catches behind the stumps.

Karthik played 26 Tests, 94 ODIs and 60 T20Is for India. Interestingly, he played his last international match during the 2022 T20 World Cup against Bangladesh under the captaincy of Rohit Sharma. He also played a couple of seasons in the IPL for the Mumbai Indians alongside Rohit in 2012 and 2013.