3 Indian Cricketers who won ICC Trophy without Debuting
In Indian cricket, there have been very few instances where a player has gone on to win the ICC trophy in the debut outing. And even in that category, a handful won an ICC trophy without making a debut in that particular format. The latest entry to the list in world cricket is Josh Inglis, who lifted the WTC 2023 mace without making a test debut.
So far, India has two ODI World Cups, two T20 World Cups, and 2 Champions Trophy in their account. In the journey to the six ICC trophies, there have been 3 players who had the ICC Trophy in their portfolio without even playing that format.
Have a look at those 3 Indian players who won the ICC Trophy even without Debuting in the Format:
Sunil Valson
Sunil Valson may not be that famous in Indian cricket as compared to his teammates, but he was a part of the winning team of the ODI World Cup in 1983. Sunil Valson earned his place due to his performances in the domestic circuit. The left-arm pacer had a good domestic career last played in 1987. In his cricketing journey, Valson had 212 wickets in 75 matches while representing three domestic teams which were Delhi, Tamil Nadu, and Railways. However, he never got a chance to represent India and was left out of the squad after the 1983 ODI World Cup.
Jay Prakash Yadav
Jay Prakash Yadav is another forgotten name in the cricketing world. Jay Prakash was a part of the 2002 Champions Trophy-winning squad. His debut came a few months later. The trophy was shared between India and Sri Lanka due to a rain-affected match. He got his ODI debut cap after the champions trophy and since then he went on to represent India in 12 matches, scoring 81 runs and claiming 6 wickets to his name. He finds himself on the unique list of players who have won an ICC trophy without making their debut.
Piyush Chawla
Piyush Chawla has been one of India’s finest leg spinners. A veteran of the IPL and an exceptional bowler, Piyush had the opportunity to lift the ICC trophy in the first outing without making his debut. In 2007, India lifted the inaugural T20 World Cup 2024 and Piyush Chawla was also included in the 15-member squad for the tournament as a second spinner. Piyush Chawla, at the age of 18, became a world champion when India beat Pakistan in the finals. A few years later, in 2010, Chawla received his national cap for T20. Also after the 2011 ODI World Cup triumph, Piyush Chawla was one of the few players to win both World Cups.
These three Indian players hold a unique record and would be proud of themselves. Though they didn’t have much longer international careers, they could be proud of being ICC trophy holders. Before coming to the international setup, these players were regular members of their state team and did reasonably well in the domestic circuit.
