5 lesser-known names that helped their teams to World Cup glory

#1 Joginder Sharma

To this day, he is fondly remembered as MS Dhoni’s lucky charm. The decision to take him to South Africa itself was found absurd by many fans as genuine medium-pace bowlers aren’t really seen as genuine bowlers.

While this claim might sound ridiculous, it is sadly true. These days, a bowler is either a spinner or a fast medium who bowls at 130kmph regularly—medium pacers, the 100-110kmph bowlers, no longer exist. And Joginder Sharma was the last of them.

Playing only four games in the World T20Is, he etched his name forever as no-one can ever forget his last over against Pakistan in the final. Incidentally, those were the only four matches he ever played for India in T20Is.

In his first game against England, he gave away 57 runs and picked up no wickets—befuddling Indian fans even more.

However, in the next 3 games, he gave away only 81 runs and picked up 4 wickets—with his all-important last-over against Pakistan, winning the World Cup for India.