Joginder Sharma

It was the moment that no Indian cricket fan could ever forget. The dismissal of Misbah- ul- Haq in the final of the inaugural ICC World Twenty20 by Joginder Sharma crowned India as the first World Twenty20 champions.

Often compared to the legendary all-rounder Kapil Dev, this right-arm medium pacer from Rohtak made his first-class debut for Haryana in the 2002-03 Ranji Trophy, scoring 81 runs and claiming 11 wickets that led Haryana to a 103 run victory. He caught everyone’s attention in a match for India A against the national team when he dismissed the likes of Dravid, Laxman and Yuvraj. Later, in the 2004-05 Ranji season, he scored two successive centuries and took a ten-wicket haul. The 2006/07 season was filled with strong performances by Joginder as he was the second highest wicket-taker (39) in the Ranji Trophy Super League, which included two ten-wicket hauls and a hat-trick. Subsequently, he was included in India’s ODI squad for the tour to Bangladesh. In early 2007, he was included in the squad for the home series against West Indies.

He was then picked by the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL.