India playing 11 from their first ever Champions Trophy match in 1998 - where are they now? 

Team India are set to kick off their Champions Trophy campaign against Bangladesh on Thursday, February 20, in Dubai. Led by Rohit Sharma, the Men in Blue squad boasts senior players like Virat Kohli, Mohammed Shami, Ravindra Jadeja, and Hardik Pandya. Meanwhile, talented youngsters like Shubman Gill and Arshdeep Singh will also be crucial to India's chances in the event.

India made their Champions Trophy debut in 1998, which was the inaugural edition of the tournament. Their first game was against Australia on October 28, 1998, in Dhaka, which was a quarterfinal fixture.

Sachin Tendulkar's all-round performance paved the way for India to begin the tournament on a winning note. After posting 307, the Indian bowling unit was proficient with their efforts to bundle out Aussies for 263 and win by 44 runs.

On that note, let's take a look at what the playing XI of India looked like and what they are up to in their lives now.

---

Top-order: Sourav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar, Mohammad Azharuddin (c)

Sourav Ganguly was dismissed in the second over on one run by Michael Kasprowicz in this game. He was appointed Director of Cricket at JSW Sports in October 2024, where he will oversee the operations of the Delhi Capitals teams in IPL and WPL, and the Pretoria Capitals in SA20.

Sachin Tendulkar was awarded Player of the Match for his sensational effort in the game. The right-hander smashed 141 off 128 balls to lift India's total to 307. Thereafter, he returned with figures of 4/38, while also dismissing captain Steve Waugh.

Tendulkar is currently serving as the mentor of the Mumbai Indians in the IPL. He will soon be seen playing for the India Masters in the IMLT20 2025.

Meanwhile, captain Mohammad Azharuddin was dismissed for a duck by Damien Fleming. He is currently involved in active politics, having served as a member of parliament in the past.

---

Middle-order: Rahul Dravid, Ajay Jadeja, Robin Singh, Ajit Agarkar

Rahul Dravid scored 48 and stitched together a crucial 140-run stand with Sachin Tendulkar to bail out the Indian team in this fixture. Dravid coached India to a title victory in the 2024 T20 World Cup. He will be serving as the head coach of the Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2025.

Ajay Jadeja continued the team's momentum with his quickfire 71 off 65. He is often seen as an analyst/commentator for various media houses.

Robin Singh could contribute only three runs in this game. Nevertheless, Robin has had a storied coaching career, with him currently serving as the head coach of MI Emirates in ILT20.

Ajit Agarkar returned with figures of 1/61 and scored 10 runs in the fixture. He is currently the Chairman of the BCCI Senior Men's Selection Committee.

---

Lower-order: Sunil Joshi, Javagal Srinath, Nayan Mongia (wk), Anil Kumble

Sunil Joshi finished with figures of 2/57 off eight overs in this game, while dismissing Ricky Ponting. He is the spin bowling coach for the Punjab Kings in the IPL.

Javagal Srinath produced an impressive effort of 2/36 off nine overs, with one of his victims being Adam Gilchrist. Srinath is a famous ICC match referee, having officiated in more than 500 international games.

Wicketkeeper Nayan Mongia remained unbeaten on 0 in the game and effected a solitary dismissal behind the wicket. He currently works as an analyst and motivational speaker.

Anil Kumble conceded 44 runs off nine overs, without inflicting any damage to the Aussie side. The former Indian spinner is seen as an analyst for various media houses.