A short , fun set focusing on players who have represented India in the ODI world cup .

1. The Lesser known Ones
A Cricket World Cup Quiz slightly different than usual
Manas Deep

2. • This quiz is dedicated to all those of us , who have spent countless hours in the Cricket field ,
trying to emulate the bowling or batting action of our favourite Cricketers , and countless
more in front of our TV screens/in grounds across the globe ,re-living the feelings of joy and
despair along with them during live matches .
• It is also dedicated to those Cricketers who , without being the standout performers ( in ODI
world cups ) have contributed their bit towards the team’s success and hence, to our
happiness.
• The period considered is 1983-2019 . Men’s Cricket has been considered for this Quiz ; the
Ladies deserve a full set of their own.
• While the quiz is non – competitive , please feel free to keep your own scores . And if ( at all )
you fail to score , do have a heart for the likes of Chandra , Walsh, Martin and several others !
• The QM is confident that if you are attempting a set like this , you are more interested in
googlies than in Googling . Use the available time to enjoy the stories in the question, all
answers are easy and known to you brilliant quizzers ! 

3. Acknowledgments are due to the “Guinea Pigs”
• Titash Banerjea
• Anantha Kumar Rajamani
• Naman Jain
• Pranay Jha
• All images are from public sources , Cricketer profiles are all from Cricinfo

4. Q1.
• During his maiden tour of England , this not so imposing Cricketer led the
side onto the stage for the Wisden Indian Cricketer of the Century Awards in
London, where many assumed him to be the team mascot!
• The lad is not as timid as he was thought to be by many , though. Excerpts
from an interview - “My finger came in the door when I was six, and it got
cut…………the last finger doesn’t fit in the gloves. So I tape it down the gloves
so that it stays joint….. when I look back, it feels good to represent the
country with nine fingers .”
• Identify.

6. Answer
• Parthiv Ajay Patel
• 2003- Member ( didn’t get a game )
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwIfuanFx8g

7. Q2.
• Not many can claim to have made their test debut against our arch rivals and
end up as the highest run getter in the series for their country , but X can .
• X is the first Indian Cricketer to have got a wicket with his first ODI delivery .
• While he was generally an attacking Cricketer , X hit only one six in his
international career , remarkably in the first ODI world cup game he played
( he got the opportunity only because another member of the squad had an
unexpected emergency ).
• Like some of the other subjects of this quiz , X also ventured into movies post his
retirement from Cricket and even landed a leading role .
• Identify.

9. Answer
• Sadagoppan Ramesh
• Started with a bang in his debut series vs Pakistan
in 1999 . He was the highest run scorer for India
with 204 runs
• Scored 55 on World Cup debut against Zimbabwe in
1999 and hit his only international six in that match
( he played in the absence of Sachin Tendulkar )
• Took the wicket of Nixon McLean with his first ODI
delivery. Interestingly , Wavell Hinds also got a
wicket ( MSK Prasad ) off his first ODI delivery in the
same match , making it the first ever instance of
two players having achieved the feat in the same
ODI
• Acted in several Tamil movies post retirement, like
“Santhosh Subramaniyam” and “Potta Potti 50/50”
.
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhmisyYm3z4

10. Q3.
• X is the second player in the Ranji Trophy history to have scored 6000 runs
and taken 200 wickets , the first being Vijay Hazare.
• He also made a good start to his Test career, scoring a century in only his
second match.
• The only ODI world cup he played in was a heartbreak at both personal and
team levels.
• Since then , he has been a part of the Team India set up for other ODI World
Cups , but a winners’ medal still eludes him .
• If you were following IPL, you might have listened to him in the last week .
• Identify.

12. Answer
• Sanjay Bapusaheb Bangar
• Scored 100* against Zimbabwe in his second
Test
• Member – 2003(didn’t get a game, team lost
in the finals )
• Batting Coach – 2015 & 2019 WC
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GyPGW
knUD2o

13. Q4.
• Success at Under -15, under-17 and under -19 levels led to X being talked
about as a potential India great even before he debuted internationally
with the senior team .
• He showed his class when he became the youngest Indian to score a
double century and a century in both innings of the same first class
match .
• However, this temperamental Cricketer could never live up to the early
promise and at a point of time was even banned by BCCI from playing for
India .
• While his first class and ODI records make for quite a healthy reading, he
hasn’t played tests for India till date . X also drew a blank in his only ODI
World Cup.
• Identify .

15. Answer
• Ambati Thirupathi Rayudu
• Captained India at the U-17 and U-19 levels ,
once hailed as “The Next Tendulkar”
• Captained India in the 2004 U-19 WC but
debuted the last among members of that team
( Shikhar Dhawan, R P Singh , Dinesh Kartik,
Suresh Raina , Robin Uthappa and VRV Singh
were some members of that squad)
• Scored 210 and 159* aged just 17 years in only
his fourth first class match ( Hyderabad vs
Andhra, Ranji Trophy 2002-03
• Joined the ICL and was banned from first class
Cricket by BCCI, before receiving a pardon in
2009.
• Was a part of the 2015 ODI WC team, but did
not get to play a game.
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPUqDQ
uqKjM

16. Q5.
• X has a T20I record that no Indian can ever break .
• X has been a playing member of two ODI World Cup squads separated by 12 years,
another record among Indians . Both the World Cups resulted in heartbreaks of varying
levels for the team .
• He does have a World Cup ( generic term used ) winners’ medal , though.
• Over a career spanning two decades now , he has mostly played second fiddle to his
more famous “rival” for a spot in the Indian squad , although X made his debut earlier .
It is possible that X’s ODI career will end with the same match as his rival’s did .
• Identify .

18. Answer
• Krishnakumar Dinesh Karthik
• First MoM awardee for India in T20Is ,
against South Africa in 2006
• 2007 and 2019 WC- Member
• Member of the T20 WC winning team of
2007
• Debuted ahead of M S Dhoni in ODIs
• Last ODI played India v New Zealand at
Manchester, Jul 9-10, 2019 ( M S Dhoni’s
last ODI prior to retirement ).
• https://youtu.be/pPwVCIvO7tg

19. Q6.
• X is one of the few players to make his international debut in the final of an ICC
tournament.
• He seems to love chasing. Consider the following :
• Both his international centuries have come during chases , one of them being
the second fastest ODI century by an Indian, outside the sub continent .
• In 2010 ,he scored 210 off 190 deliveries to help create his team the world
record for the till date highest first class fourth innings chase .
• X is one of the few Indians with two World Cup (generic term used) winners’
medals as a playing member .
• Identify .

21. Answer
• Yusuf Khan Pathan
• Debuted against Pakistan in the 2007 T20
WC final
• Winning squad member of the 2011 WC

22. Q7.
• Technically speaking , X had an international career that lasted across three
decades.
• After a forgetful debut in his birthplace ( and also against the country of his
birth ) , X was largely forgotten , only to create immediate impact upon his
recall .
• While the ODI world cup that he was a part of didn’t end well for India , X
recorded the ( at that time ) best bowling figures for an Indian in a world cup
match .
• X also played his role in another world cup win( generic term used ), some
years after his retirement from International Cricket .
• Among quizzers , X is known for the unique records associated with the start
and end of his rather short Test career.
• Identify .

24. Answer
• Rabindra Ramnarayan “Robin” Singh
• Born in Port of Spain , made his debut in
1989 against WI
• Re- selected during Titan Cup 1996, and took
two wickets off consecutive deliveries against
Australia
• 1999 WC – member . Took 5/31 against Sri
Lanka
• Played a solitary test (after having played 60
ODIs , then a record ). The next Indian
Cricketer(no. 218) was his namesake , Robin
Singh “Junior”, and in another amazing
coincidence , also played only one test .
• https://youtu.be/yuZlQyzj3nM

25. Q8.
• A reflection of how the young our T20 World Cup winning squad of 2007 was, is
that X, at 29 years, was the oldest member of the squad .
• X first drew attention with a triple century at school level . He has had several
“memorable” batting performances for India, and still holds an important ODI
batting record . And he certainly knew something about bowling .
• And while X may have tasted reasonable success at international level , the ODI
world cups haven’t really been quite memorable for X (any of the three he
played in ) .
• Identify .

27. Answer
• Ajit Bhalchandra Agarkar
• Fastest 50 in an ODI by an Indian (record
holder since Dec 14, 2000)
• Other remarkable batting performances
include a century at Lord’s , and the 7
consecutive ducks against Australia !
• Fastest Indian to 50 and 250 ODI wickets
• 1999- member – India crashed out at
super six stage
• 2003 – member – didn’t play any game
• 2007 - member – India couldn’t go
beyond the first round
• https://youtu.be/uZX5maSrX-w

28. Q9.
• X is one of the youngest Test debutants for India .
• His love for World Cups ( generic term used ) seems to be greater than many
other Cricketers , as he holds two winners’ and one runners- up medals as of
today.
• With the above achievement , it is not surprising that many call him a lucky
mascot for team India . Fittingly , he also has the nick-name ‘Paras’, which
means a stone that turns anything it touches into gold.
• Identify.

30. Answer
• Piyush Pramod Chawla
• At 17 years and 75 days , Piyush remains
the 2nd youngest test debutant for India
after Sachin Tendulkar (16 years 205 days)
• 2011 – Member ( winner )
• 2007 T20 – Member (winner)
• 2006 U19 – Runner-up
• https://youtu.be/zgZZxas-QQs

31. Q10.
• Not many Cricketers can claim to have “finished” their international cricketer with a
world cup win like X can .
• While some might call him unlucky, have a look at his performance across two world
cups ( generic term used ) :
a)Tournament A - involved in the final act , which got him the winners’ medal .
b) Tournament B - Replaced Y after he got injured , and ultimately ended up
getting a winner’s medal .
Clearly not so unlucky , then .
• His wife’s name is not to be confused with that of a current India international, not
very different from X in the art he practices
• Identify X, a man of many hats. Also identify the unlucky Y , who never played an ODI
world cup match .

33. Answer
• S Sreesanth /S Nair Sreesanth/ Sreesanth / whichever
version he chooses !
• Last ODI /International – World Cup Final of 2011
(replaced the injured Praveen Kr)
• 2007 T20 WC – The last catch to win India the trophy
• Wife’s name – Bhuvneshwari Kumari (!)
• https://youtu.be/UtEexaJhPEc

34. Q11.
• Getting the full name of X used to be a fun quiz question at a point of time .
• X has given many Indian fans one of the most memorable moments in world
cup history , moments which include uncharacteristic aggression from him,
and a moment which some would say changed the course of that crucial
match .
• While X doesn’t have an ODI world cup winners’ medal to show for his efforts
as a player across 2 editions, he did become a part of a world beating squad
later .
• Among other roles post his retirement , X has acted in a regional movie along
with his once partner in Cricketing crime.
• Identify.

36. Answer
• Bapu Krishnarao Venkatesh Prasad
• The epic dismissal of Amir Sohail during the
1996 WC quarter finals
• 1996, 1999 – Member
• 2007 T20 WC – Bowling Coach of Team India
• Acted along with Javagal Srinath in a Kannad
movie “Sachin! Tendulkar Alla”
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJQmjQ5
51Ro

37. Q12.
• After that disastrous campaign , the players were visibly nervous as reports of
players' residences being attacked were trickling in. Tendulkar had then asked X
if he was scared.
• But X had replied, "Paaji, jahan main rehta hoon, udhar aath hazaar log hain
aur aath hazaar log mere security hain!" (Where I stay, there are 8000 people,
and all of them are my security)
• One is quite certain that after the next such campaign , all the 8000 residents
(and some more by then ) would have come to carry X on their shoulders.
Identify .

39. Answer
• Munaf Musa Patel
• 2007, 2011 – Member
• He comes from a small place called
Ikhar in Bharuch , Gujarat.
• https://youtu.be/yyK0YuHTT6I

40. • Till the late 90’s , it was said that it was impossible for Cricketers from the
“weaker” Cricketing states to break into the national team . Clearly, X paid no
heed to such statements .
• While he might not have played a lot of international Cricket by the time he
retired , any bowler who has Saeed Anwar and Sanath Jayasuriya during their
best days as his first ODI and test wickets respectively , must have deserved his
place in the side .
• 19-5-46-10. No, this is not Jim Laker that we re talking about .
Identify X , who, while not known as a standout performer in ODI world cup , is
fondly remembered by Cricket enthusiasts for his unique association with one .
Q13.

42. Answer
• Debashish Sarbeswar Mohanty
• 1999 – Member
• His victims during that 10 wicket haul
included Dravid and Laxman among
others ( Duleep Trophy , 2001 )
• His bowling action Inspired the 1999
WC logo ( the QM is still searching for
the perfectly matching pic ! )

43. Q14.
• Many fans do not realise that X had a long test career of 11 years , and has also
played for India in 2 ODI world cups .
• Not many would have pulled Merv Hughes’s moustache and got away with it,
but X did . In fact, they became quite good friends after that incident .
• While he has been given several nicknames like “Mr. Bean” and “Bruce Lee” by
fellow Cricketers , his fans remember him by another famous nickname , shared
by famous sportspersons from other sports .
• Identify X, who ended his international career with one of the most memorable
test matches of all times.

45. Answer
• Sagi Lakshmi Venkatapathy Raju
• Nickname - “Muscles” shared by others
including Ken Rosewal
• 1992, 1996 – member
• His last test was the historic Eden Gardens
test match , known for VVS Laxman’s 281.

46. Q15.
• X was neither bitter then , nor does he sound bitter after all these decades when
being reminded of the not so happy distinction .
• Excerpts from an interview with X - "If I remember correctly , Y was having some
niggle …….. Z had said if Y failed the fitness Test, I would play … Jaise hi Y ne
bhaagna shuru Kiya, mujhe pata thaa main nahi kheloonga ” .
• Others who share the record with X include Marvan Attapattu,Mitchel Johnson
,Tom Curran,Brad Haddin, Russel Arnold,Upul Chandana and Malcolm
Marshall ( part of an exhaustive list )
• X is, in fact, doubly unfortunate as compared to the Cricketers listed above
because of a unique distinction that he holds within this list .
• Identify X,Y,Z and the unfortunate records .

48. Answer
• Sunil Valson
• 1983 – Member
• Came close to playing against West Indies
at The Oval (2nd round robin match) ,
when Kapil Dev (Z) told him to be ready
to replace Roger Binny ( Y ) . Binny
reported fit on the morning of the match.
• One of the few ODI world cup winning
players to not have played a single match
in that edition .
• He never played an ODI at all !
• https://youtu.be/ZUi5hcYGNRg

49. That’s End of Play , Gentlemen (& Ladies!)