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 35^th 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.

Sachin Tendulkar

As was the case in several matches, Sachin Tendulkar was Ganguly’s opening partner, but couldn’t support the captain in the middle for long, departing after a sedate 25.

Having already played more than a decade of international cricket, Sachin continued to play for India till 2013, retiring at his home ground, the Wankhede, where he played his last Test innings against the West Indies and scored 76.

Post his retirement, Sachin hasn’t been as actively involved with mainstream cricket as some of his peers. He was sworn in as member of the Rajya Sabha in 2012, and was also roped in as India’s brand ambassador for the Rio Olympics 2016.

Retirement seems to have taken very little sheen off his image, as he continues to endorse a number of products and is still a strong brand icon. Like Ganguly, he is also the owner of one of the ISL sides, the Kerala Blasters.

Despite being away from the game, he has made sporadic appearances with the bat, having turned up for the MCC vs Rest of the World match in 2014, and was instrumental in materialising the All Stars tournament in association with Shane Warne last year. He captained one of the two sides.

Rahul Dravid

The anchor of India’s run chase on that afternoon at Nairobi, Dravid’s importance in the Indian team hardly took a hit when the new guys came in the side. His responsible, sedate knocks in ODIs gave the other batsmen the opportunity to play around him and change gears whenever required.

He briefly took over the role of a wicket-keeper batsman to lend balance to the side and accommodate an extra batsman in the team. Later, he combined with several middle order batsmen, including Yuvraj himself, to lead India to victory in various limited overs matches.

He took over the captaincy from Sourav Ganguly, getting mixed results from the team. The lowest point of his career was the humiliating ouster from the World Cup in 2007, where his side lost to Bangladesh and Sri Lanka to bow out in the group stages.

Apart from a brief lull in form, Dravid continue to flourish as a batsman, coming up with solid performances even in the twilight of his career. He retired in early 2012.

He is now the coach of the India-A and U-19 sides, and is also the brand ambassador of the Blind Cricket World Cup 2017.

Vinod Kambli

The enfant terrible of Indian cricket had a start-stop international career, starting off brilliantly before fading away with sub-par performances. Despite boasting of an average over 50, Kambli didn’t manage more than 17 Tests, although he was given a run in 104 ODIs, where he ended up with an average of 33.

In Yuvraj, India found a like-by-like replacement for Kambli, if not better. Despite his quickfire 39, he could not latch onto his place in the side, and played his final match for India later in the same month.

He acted in a couple of Bollywood movies, and hasn’t kept much contact with the game, apart from a few news channels where he works as cricket analyst. He is also very active on Twitter.

Robin Singh

Before Yuvraj Singh and Mohammad Kaif arrived, Robin Singh was touted as Team India’s best fielder. The bits and pieces cricketer was known for his aggressive batting in the death overs, and nagging medium pace that had heavy dollops of off-cutters in it.

Born in West Indies, Robin Singh played 136 ODIs and one Test for the Indian team over a period of twelve years. He enjoyed a longer run after getting reinstated in the team at the age of 33, playing till 2001.

Post retirement, he returned in the capacity of the coach of the U-19 team in 2004, and subsequently the India-A side, mentoring players such as Gautam Gambhir, Robin Uthappa and Rohit Sharma. He was appointed as the fielding coach of the Indian team during the 2007 World T20, and was also the first head coach of the Deccan Chargers IPL side. Recently, he was seen coaching the Mumbai Indians in the IPL, as well as the Barbados Tridents in the CPL.

Ajit Agarkar

The Mumbai-born fast bowler was a match winner for India in conducive conditions, swinging the new ball appreciably to effect dismissals early in the innings. His skiddy bowling, combined with his useful, albeit not-so-dependable, batting made him a standout performer in the late 90s and early 2000s.

With the arrival of a new generation of pace bowlers, Agarkar, who was infamous for giving away too many runs, suddenly lost his place in the side, and was unable to recover it back.

He continued to play domestic cricket, turning out for Mumbai till the 2012/13 season. He later turned analyst, making appearances on talk shows, apart from playing golf. He recently won the BMR World Corporate Golf Challenge in Bengaluru.

Anil Kumble

Ravichandran Ashwin might be currently enjoying his day under the sun, but few can deny the fact that Kumble was India’s best spinner, a proven matchwinner who can turn into a machine on any pitch. Unconventional, he didn’t rely as much on turn, as he did on variation and change of pace.

India’s leading wicket-taker in Tests, Kumble retired from international cricket in the same series as Ganguly, although he continued to represent and mentor the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL. He later turned administrator, mixing his duties with mentorship of the Mumbai Indians.

He won the race for the post of Head Coach of the Indian team by a mile, taking over the reins before the West Indies tour. Under him, the team has won three consecutive Test series, and Virat Kohli has been in prime form.

Vijay Dahiya

Dahiya was one of the many wicketkeepers tried by the team towards the end of the 1990s and early 2000s. Yuvraj Singh’s debut was incidentally Dahiya’s first ODI for the Indian team as well. He effected two dismissals in his debut outing.

He had a relatively short career, representing the team in two Tests and 19 ODIs, eventually losing his place to the likes of Deep Dasgupta, Ajay Ratra and Parthiv Patel. He continued to play for the Delhi Ranji team till 2006, ending his playing career at the age of 33.

He then went on to coach the Delhi side, taking over the post in the 2007-08 season. He was also appointed the assistant coach of the Kolkata Knight Riders in the second season of the IPL. Due to a conflict with his KKR role and that in Delhi, he was sacked as the head coach of the Ranji side after the 2013-14 season.

Venkatesh Prasad

He was a mainstay in the Indian Team from 1996-2001, but never came into the limelight, quietly doing his job without seeking much attention. His India career was not the longest, but in a short span of time, he earned a name for himself as a match winner with the ball, making crucial breakthroughs with his not-so-threatening pace. His new-ball partnership with Javagal Srinath shaped India’s pace bowling in the 1990s.

After having retired from all forms in 2005, he was made coach of the U-19 side in 2006, coaching the likes of Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja during his tenure. From 2007-2009, he presided over the role of the India’s bowling coach. He is currently associated with the Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Zaheer Khan

One of the three debutants for India on that day, ‘Zak’ made an instant impression with his bowling, picking up three wickets, including two back to back yorkers. He had been recruited in the first batch of the National Cricket Academy in 2000, and his inclusion into the Indian team did not take much time.

Bowling consistently around the 140s, Zaheer seemed to be the answer to India’s long wait for a genuine pace bowler. However, injuries halted his charge, forcing him out of the side. He returned in 2006 with a shorter run-up and a smarter mind, turning into a crafty bowler who troubled the best of batsman for the next half a decade. His canny bowling was one of the highlights of India’s World Cup triumph in 2011.

He continued to play the IPL, and was seen representing the Delhi Daredevils, where he also handles the role of a mentor. He is also seen in the role of a commentator and match analyst.