The ICC T20 World Cup is the biggest stage for any player to prove himself in the T20 format at the international level. The International Cricket Council organized this tournament for the first time in the year 2007. The Indian cricket team was the first one to win the competition. After India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, West Indies and England also became T20 World Cup winners. The Caribbean side is the only one to have won the ICC T20 WC title twice.
Speaking of India’s performance in the biggest T20 event at the international level, the Men in Blue have finished as the runners-up once and as the champions once. They have lost in semifinals once, while in 2009, 2010 and 2012, India failed to make it past the Super 8s stage. MS Dhoni, the current mentor of the Indian cricket team for the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup 2021, was the captain of the Men in Blue in all previous editions of the tournament.
While Dhoni played his last T20I game in a bilateral series, there have been seven Indian cricketers whose T20I careers ended, with their last appearance for the country coming at the mega event. In this listicle today, we will look at the seven Indian players whose last T20I game was in the T20 WC.
1. Virender Sehwag, ICC T20 WC 2012
The first captain of the Indian T20I team Virender Sehwag played his career’s last T20I game during the 2012 edition of the T20 World Cup. His last match was against South Africa. Sehwag scored 17 runs off 14 balls in that match before Robin Peterson dismissed him.
2. Joginder Sharma
Not many fans would know that former Indian all-rounder Joginder Sharma did not play a single T20I match for India after he bowled the last over against Pakistan in the 2007 T20 WC Final. Sharma played four matches in his T20I career, and all of them were during the 2007 T20 WC.
3. RP Singh
Another member of the 2007 WT20-winning team to feature on this list is RP Singh. Unlike Sharma, Singh played in 2009 T20 World Cup, where his last T20I appearance came against South Africa in Nottingham.
4. Ajit Agarkar, ICC T20 WC 2007
Former Indian all-rounder played his last T20I against New Zealand during the Super 8s stage of the inaugural T20 WC. It was the only game that India lost in that tournament.
5. Lakshmipathy Balaji
Another fast bowler to feature on this list is Lakshmipathy Balaji. The right-arm pacer did not play a single game for India after the 2012 T20 World Cup match against South Africa.
6. Zaheer Khan, ICC T20 WC 2012
It is quite surprising to note that another Indian pacer played his last game against South Africa during the 2012 T20 WC. Along with Balaji, Zaheer Khan also played his last match then.
7. Irfan Pathan
The Man of the Match of the inaugural T20 World Cup Final, Irfan Pathan, played his last match in the 2012 T20 WC against South Africa as well. A total of four players – Irfan, Zaheer, Balaji and Sehwag – never played a T20I for India again after that defeat.
