Five Indian Players Who Have Played Only One T20I Match In Their International Career

Twenty20 cricket is slowly ruling the world of cricket nowadays. In every country, there are domestic T20 leagues, and that’s because of the excitement and sheer entertainment in the shorter format. Indian players too, just like fans, love the T20 format.

That becomes evident when you consider the popularity of Indian Premier League (IPL) in India as well as other countries in the world.

Viewers get to witness the madness of a cricket match unfold in just three and a half hours, which makes the shortest format all the more enticing for fans.

Such is the impact of T20 cricket that various players have taken retirement from ODIs and Tests to focus on just the 20-overs format.

Although, on the flip side, there are players who could play just a few T20I matches in their careers.

Today, we will be talking about players whose first T20I match was also their last.

Five Indian Players Who Have Played Only One T20I Match In Their Career

5) Dinesh Mongia

Former left-handed batsman Dinesh Mongia is among the Indian players who played just one solitary T20I match in their careers. He played a T20I game against South Africa in 2006 that turned out to be Mongia’s last, in the shortest format.

The Proteas hosted India on 1st December 2006, at Johannesburg. This was the first T20I match in India’s illustrious cricketing history.

Mongia came out to bat at No. 3 and scored 38 runs off 45 balls for the Men in Blue. His innings included four boundaries and one six. India eventually won the game by a margin of six wickets.

4) Murali Kartik

The next name on this list, Murali Kartik also played just one T20I match in his career. Kartik played his one and only 20-overs match in 2007 against Australia, at Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai.

The left-arm spinner in his spell of four overs, couldn’t take a single wicket and gave away 27 runs instead. Although, India still managed to win the match, by seven wickets.

Kartik wasn’t selected to play for any T20I match for India, ever again. The 43-year-old is nowadays seen as a cricket expert.

3) Subramaniam Badrinath

Subramanian Badrinath played a handful of matches for the national team and is one of the Indian players to have represented Team India in just one solitary T20I match. Badrinath made his debut in the 20-overs format in 2011 against the West Indies, but it turned out to be his last T20I match in Indian colours.

The 39-year-old batsman from Chennai scored 43 runs off 37 balls on his debut, after having come out to bat at No. 4.

The match was played in Trinidad, as India emerged victorious courtesy of Badrinath’s match-winning knock.

He was rewarded with the ‘Man of the Match’ award but despite this, Badrinath never played another T2oI match for India.

2) Rahul Dravid

Former Indian skipper Rahul Dravid too features in this list, as he could play just one T20I match in his illustrious career. Dravid earned his only T20I cap in a match against England in 2011.

The 47-year-old scored a quickfire 31 runs off just 21 balls at Manchester, and his innings included three consecutive sixes against English bowler Samit Patel.

Dravid had already announced his retirement from the limited-overs format, even before the T20I match against England, so the right-handed batsman played just one solitary 20-overs match in his stellar career.

1) Sachin Tendulkar

In 2006, when India played their first-ever T20I match against South Africa, Sachin Tendulkar made his debut in the shortest format. Although, that would turn out to be his first and last T20I match ever.

In that match though, Sachin failed to score a big total and was sent packing having scored just 10 runs from 12 deliveries.

The legendary batsman was able to show his all-round abilities as he picked up the wicket of Justin Kemp.

India were able to win the game in the end, and it remained Sachin’s first and last T20I match of his illustrious career.