Ashish Nehra (1999-2017): The journey in pictures

Nehra got an early taste of success with the NatWest Trophy triumph

The victory that gave Ganguly’s India the impetus they needed, and laid the groundwork for future glories was the NatWest Triumph in 2002. Before the series, Nehra’s overseas tours were limited to Sri Lanka, West Indies, and Zimbabwe.

He earned a place in the Indian attack for the 2003 World Cup

While Nehra didn’t perform overwhelmingly well, he staked a claim for a spot in the World Cup, featuring in a line-up that was spearheaded by an ageing Javagal Srinath.

The Super Six spell against England remains Nehra's most memorable performance

One spell that changed how people perceived Nehra forever was the game-changing burst of pace bowling against England at Durban. That Super Six clash, perhaps, gave India the thrust they needed to reach the finals.

Despite a swollen ankle, Nehra bowled unchanged from one end

Struggling with a swollen ankle, Nehra was seen retching by the side of the pitch and in a bid to stay on the field, he consumed bananas. Ganguly then decided to toss the ball to the pacer.

In an unchanged spell of ten-overs, holding one end, Nehra made inroads into the England batting, completely demolishing their chase with a six-fer that found its way into the record books. Hitting perfect lines and drifting the ball around marginally, he seemed to be in a different dimension.

Nehra fell at the final hurdle

The Ganguly-led team, however, stumbled on the cusp of glory, losing out to Australia emphatically in the finals.