India's first-ever T20 XI: What are they up to now?

Team India is one of the best teams in T20 cricket right now. It can also be considered the hotspot of the format since India hosts the Indian Premier League, which happens to be the best T20 league. It was on 1st December 2006 that India played its first T20I encounter. The game was against South Africa and the match was held in Johannesburg. On that note, in this article, we take a look at India's first-ever T20 XI.

Back then, almost no team knew how the T20 teams are set up. There was one floating idea that the team would need a lot of big-hitters. Most teams aligned with this notion. India also walked on the same line although they included the likes of Sachin Tendulkar to add stability. We take a look at the first XI and also see what the players are doing right now.

Openers: Virender Sehwag (C) and Sachin Tendulkar

Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar were the openers in India's first-ever T20 XI. Sehwag, who made 34 runs in that match, is currently a popular commentator. He provides his expert opinion on various cricket matters and also runs a few academies. Sachin Tendulkar holds a role in the Mumbai Indians. Apart from that, Sachin has also been a part of the parliament as an MP.

Middle-Order: Dinesh Mongia, MS Dhoni (WK), Dinesh Karthik and Suresh Raina

Dinesh Mongia played at No.3 in this XI. The left-hander recently joined BJP to start his political career. He has also been the coach of Arunachal Pradesh in the Ranji Trophy. MS Dhoni retired from international cricket in 2020 and is the current captain of Chennai Super Kings in IPL. As for Dinesh Karthik, he is still part of the Indian T20I XI. He is the only member of this squad who is still active. Suresh Raina also quit international cricket along with Dhoni. He is now a commentator and will look to come back in IPL 2023.

All-Rounders: Irfan Pathan

Irfan Pathan was the all-rounder in India's first-ever T20 XI. Currently, like the others on the list, Irfan is a well-known commentator and also has a role in the development of Jammu and Kashmir cricket. The player has also been part of some overseas T20 leagues.

Bowlers: Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Ajit Agarkar and S Sreesanth

Harbhajan Singh recently quit the game. He has joined AAP to kickstart his political career. He also works as a commentator. While Zaheer Khan is with the Mumbai Indians, Ajit Agarkar is the assistant coach of the Delhi Capitals. Ajit also works as a commentator at times. Sreesanth recently retired from the game. He has been active as a model and as an actor.