Joginder Sharma: Where is the 2007 T20 World Cup Hero Now?

Every cricketer dreams of his spotlight moment, playing a match-winning innings, bowling a game-changing spell and pulling off an impossible catch.

But there's no greater feeling than leading the country to World Cup glory!

This dream did come true for Joginder Sharma; the hero of India's first T20 World Cup triumph. He will always be remembered as the bowler from Haryana who delivered under immense pressure in that 2007 World T20 final over! It seemed like the beginning of a golden career but who knew back then that Juginder Sharma's name would be lost in history books.

Join us as we uncover the untold stories of India's forgotten cricketers, starting with the man who vanished from the spotlight and slipped into cricket's shadows.

Born in Rohtak, Haryana in 1983, Joginder Sharma made his ODI debut in 2004 when he played 2 ODIs against Bangladesh and could not leave a mark. Hence, he was dropped from the team. He was recalled to the ODI squad during the ODI series against the West Indies in 2007 but failed to take a wicket and lost his place in the side once again.

Joginder's watershed moment happened when he was named in Team India's squad for the T20 World Cup the same year. However, his T20I debut was no less than a disaster as he conceded 57 runs in his 4 overs.

But MS Dhoni immensely backed him and he didn't let his captain down. The pacer had a couple of good outings against South Africa and Australia. But the biggest moment in Joginder Sharma's life came during the T20 World Cup final against Pakistan when MSD trusted him to bowl the final over.

India's arch-rivals required 13 runs off the final over and it seemed that the match was done and dusted. But a 24-year-old Joginder pulled the game back in India's favour and the rest as they say is history.

Joginder Sharma became an overnight sensation but who knew back then that it was his last international game.

The all-rounder was rewarded with a cash prize of Rs. 21 lakhs along with a job at the police department by the Haryana government for his performance in the T20 World Cup.

Joginder Sharma did feature in 16 IPL games for Chennai Super Kings between 2008-2011 where he took 12 wickets but a career-threatening car accident, where he suffered head injuries, dented his cricket growth.

He played domestic cricket till 2017 but then shifted focus to his police job. Joginder finally announced his retirement from cricket in 2023.

Currently, Joginder Sharma is serving as Deputy Superintendent of Police in Pehowa, Haryana. During the COVID-19 pandemic, The ICC lauded Sharma for his efforts as a policeman during the global health crisis and called him a 'Real world hero'.

He may not have had a long-lasting cricketing career like others, but he found a special place in the hearts of millions of Indians by bowling that superb final over in the 2007 World T20. That glory moment is enough to make sure that Joginder Sharma's name never fades away in time.