ODI Debut In 2008
ODI Debut In 2008: Virat Kohli led the side to glory in the U-19 World Cup in 2008. He was not just a fine young batting talent but his leadership abilities were there for everyone to see. It didn’t take him long to break into the Indian side soon after. Kohli made his ODI Debut in the series against Sri Lanka. He opened the innings in that series in the absence of a few seniors.
A sedate start but a promising one:
Kohli didn’t have the best of starts but his potential made experts sit up and take notice. There were a few other Indian cricketers who made their debut in the same year. But unlike Kohli, they couldn’t quite sparkle in their India career.
We look at a few such cricketers:
#5 Manpreet Gony
He broke into the Indian team on the back of a fine IPL season in 2008. Manpreet Gony had a lot going for him. He was a tall, strong fast bowler who hit the deck hard. Gony could use the long handle to good effect lower down the order. He could have been an ideal fast-bowling allrounder. But he couldn’t quite live up to the initial hype. He soon went into the wilderness after playing just a single series.
#4 Pragyan Ojha
He was another promising prospect who made his debut in 2008. Pragyan Ojha’s slow-left arm spin deceived batters across formats. The retirement of Anil Kumble in 2008 largely helped Ojha’s cause as he went on to become a regular member of the Test side.
Ojha though was a purely one-dimensional cricketer. This facet cost him a spot later as Ravindra Jadeja went on to occupy the same place. Ojha ironically played his last Test in which he was awarded the player of the match.
#3 Manoj Tiwary
He was one of those cricketers who was talked about highly. But unlike the others on this list, he could consider himself unlucky as Manoj Tiwary didn’t get enough chances. He made his India debut in the VB series against Australia. A searing Brett Lee delivery knocked the wind out of his sails. Tiwary then played a game in 2011 and sporadically post that. But a lack of a consistent run always pegged him back.
#2 Yusuf Pathan
He walked into the Indian team basis a fantastic showing in the IPL in 2008. Yusuf Pathan played an instrumental role in Rajasthan Royals’ championship campaign. He went on to feature consistently in the ODI setup since then. Pathan was part of India’s World Cup-winning squad in 2011. But selectors’ patience with him ran thin. In hindsight, it will be fair to say the selectors and the management failed to make the most of his abilities.
#1 Subramaniam Badrinath
Dilip Vengsarkar, the former chief national selector had famously picked Virat Kohli over Subramaniam Badrinath in 2008. The Tamil Nadu batsman had Bradmanesque numbers in domestic cricket. Hence it appeared to be a bold call then to choose a young Kohli over an established domestic giant. Badrinath did eventually get picked in the team for the same series as Kohli. But his career never ever took off in Indian colours.
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