The star of Team India… who won the first T20 World Cup, never got a chance again, is serving the country in khaki uniform.

New Delhi. In the history of Indian cricket, some names are written in golden letters while some names are lost somewhere in the fog of those memories. But whenever there is talk of that first T20 World Cup in 2007, only one name resonates in the mind of every Indian, Joginder Sharma. The man who gave the entire nation an opportunity to celebrate, who changed the course of history, but himself disappeared somewhere in the darkness of anonymity. The date was 24 September 2007. Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg and the arch rival Pakistan in front. The final match was at its last stage. Pakistan needed 13 runs from the last 6 balls to win and the dangerous Misbah-ul-Haq was present at the crease. Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni had Harbhajan Singh present in the name of experience, but he took a big gamble and handed the ball to Joginder Sharma, a medium fast bowler from Haryana.

There was silence in the stadium, crores of Indians were holding their breath. Joginder Sharma’s first ball was wide. No runs were scored on the next ball, but Misbah hit a six on the second legal delivery. Now the equation was 4 balls and 6 runs. It seemed as if the match had slipped out of India’s hands. But then Joginder bowled his next ball, Misbah tried to play a scoop shot and the ball went in the air. Sreesanth took the catch and India became world champion. Joginder Sharma became a national hero overnight.

sudden disappearance of unsung hero
It is often seen that players who win the World Cup remain a part of the team for years. But the story of Joginder Sharma was completely opposite. After that 2007 final, Joginder never played any international match for India again. He became a ‘one-match wonder’ or rather an ‘unsung hero’. Injuries and increasing competition of the team gradually took him out of the radar of the national team. He appeared for some time in domestic cricket and IPL (Chennai Super Kings), but his magical comeback in the blue jersey never happened.

From the pitch to the police uniform
Joginder Sharma, who used to dodge the batsmen on the cricket field, after being away from the game, took up the responsibility of catching the ‘criminals’ of the society. After that historic victory of 2007, the Haryana Government appointed him to the post of Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) in Haryana Police under the sports quota. It is not easy for a player to change his identity, but Joginder fulfilled this responsibility very well. Today he is posted as ACP (Assistant Commissioner of Police) in Haryana Police. Away from the glamor of cricket, his world is now confined to police stations, files and law and order.

Fulfilled the duty of ‘patriotism’ even in uniform
The discussion about Joginder Sharma once again intensified when the country was struggling with the ‘Corona epidemic’ in 2020. During that difficult time, his pictures went viral on social media, where he was seen doing duty on the streets. Just as he saved the country by throwing the last over in 2007, in the same way he was protecting the country as a Corona warrior by wearing uniform. ICC had also appreciated his service.

Why did you not get a place in the team again?
This question still torments the minds of many fans as to why the player who made India champion did not get a second chance? Sports experts believe that Joginder’s bowling did not have that extra pace which is necessary to survive for a long time at the international level. Also, the presence of bowlers like Irfan Pathan, RP Singh and later Zaheer Khan during that period made things difficult for them.

an inspiring journey
Even though Joginder Sharma may not have big figures like Sachin Tendulkar or Virat Kohli in front of his name, but that ‘one over’ is recorded in front of his name which was worth the happiness of crores of Indians. Today he is happy in his police duty. In the year 2023, he had announced his retirement from all formats of cricket. Joginder Sharma’s story teaches us that success is not just about a long career, but also about capitalizing on that one opportunity that makes you a part of history. He was a hero on the cricket field, and today he is our real hero as a savior of society. Team India may forget him, but the history of 2007 will never forget him.