On Friday night in Abu Dhabi, that same man -- now 43 and wearing Oman's colours -- stood tall against cricket's biggest stars and proved that dreams have no expiry date.
Starc dismantled SRH's top order with sheer pace, while Kuldeep's control in the middle overs ensured there was no way back for the batting side.
New Zealand, champions in 2000, are just outside the top four with three points from as many games.
Ranji Trophy champions Vidarbha took firm control of the Irani Cup, seizing a healthy first-innings lead and then consolidating it with a solid batting effort in their second essay against Rest of India at the VCA Stadium, in Nagpur, on Friday.
Spinners of both sides will have a significant role to play considering that Jasprit Bumrah and Shaheen Shah Afridi are the only specialist pacers who will be seen in action in Sunday's match.
"Losing wickets put you under pressure and we lost KL (Rahul) at the start. They bowled well so it is only natural the guys who are in form bat as long as possible," he said.
Shubman Gill is the flavour of the season after his stupendous show in the recent Test series against England but he will face a contender in Axar Patel for vice-captaincy
'He adds stability in the middle order and there were spots where he could have slotted in.'
'We want our girls to bring their A game on the day. We want them to take it just as a game because the World Cup is a long campaign.'
Rain forces abandonment of India's match against Bangladesh; Rawal injury scare for hosts
Top-order batters subjugate India A's Test bowlers as SA A register five-wicket win
The Indian team in Australia lacks a bowling attack that is good enough to take 20 wickets in a Test, Cheteshwar Pujara said
Australia captain Alyssa Healy admitted that she was poor with her glovework but more than made up with her batting masterclass as she orchestrated a 10-wicket crushing win over Bangladesh in their women's World Cup match, in Visakhapatnam, on Thursday.
Former wicketkeeper batter Dinesh Karthik believes Shubman Gill is yet to realise the 'enormity' of what it means to be India's Test captain.
'(I was) getting too deep into my technique and trying to be too perfect instead of just playing with what I've got...'
Jemimah Rodrigues struck a sensational century as hosts India reached the ICC Women's World Cup Final with a magical run-chase against Australia
With the pitch here not assisting the spinners so far a great deal, Rampaul expressed his surprise.
Images from Day 1 of the first Test between India and South Africa, in Kolkata, on Friday.
India A left-arm spinner Manav Suthar picked up three wickets to leave Australia A reeling, on Day 1 of the second unofficial Test.
The short turnaround time from the high of winning a controversy-marred Asia Cup notwithstanding, Shubman Gill's India will be outright favourites against a struggling and under-strength West Indies when the teams face-off on a green-top in the first Test in Ahmedabad on Thursday.
Former India opener Virender Sehwag is confident that the current Test team under Virat Kohli has the quality in its pace attack to win outside the sub-continent just like Sourav Ganguly's team did during 2000-2004. The Test team under Kohli has been invincible at home, having thrashed South Africa and New Zealand by identical margins of 3-0 and is also on a roll against England leading 2-0 in a five-match series.
'He has been working hard on his bowling. This was a perfect game for him.'
Captain Alyssa Healy struck a magnificent unbeaten 113 to lead Australia to a crushing 10-wicket win over Bangladesh, virtually sealing his side's semifinal spot in the Women's World Cup, in Visakhapatnam, on Thursday.
The Indian team's heavy reliance on all-rounders will be tested by a plucky Australia in the second ODI but the spotlight will continue to stay firmly on Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, both of whom would look to turn back the clock with series-saving knocks in Adelaide on Thursday.
'There was a lot of humidity. My energy was low. At the end, we decided he (Nawaz) will go for the big shots and I would block. Hats off to Nawaz.'
This series begins a potentially era-defining period for Stokes and England coach Brendon McCullum, having enjoyed plenty of highs and lows over the past few years, with the Ashes series in Australia next up in the Test format, starting in November.
Two fast-bowling all-rounders look to be in a battle for one spot, while a decision between Prasidh Krishna and left-armer Arshdeep Singh could be condition-dependent.
Wanindu Hasaranga, who grabbed four prized wickets, was the pick of the bowlers for Rajasthan Royals.
Every summer, Sudhir Gautam makes a pilgrimage to Sachin Tendulkar's Mumbai home, carrying a box of Muzaffarpur litchis from his home town in Bihar, a gesture sweeter than the fruit itself.
Former captain Michael Vaughan feels England panicked on the final day of the fifth Test against India in the absence of inspirational skipper Ben Stokes.
'I'm worried. We're going to wander in and have a little game with the 'A' team. (It will be) 'Alright mate, how are you? Good on ya' and we're going to go and perform?'
Prabhsimran's blazing ton, Iyer-Parag fifties guide India A to 2-1 series win over Australia A
India's recent run of victories has bolstered confidence but the women's selection panel, headed by Neetu David, will face some tricky questions on the inclusion of Shafali Verma and pacer Renuka Thakur when it meets in Mumbai on Tuesday to pick the squad for the ODI World Cup.
Abhishek Sharma finished as the highest run-getter in the rain-hit five-match T20I series, having amassed 163 runs in the series at a strike rate of 161.39.
Across the first Test at Leeds, which India lost by five wickets, the visitors were relying heavily on Bumrah for wickets and cutting the flow of runs.
Shreyas Iyer said that returning to an upright batting stance has helped him regain confidence and consistency, allowing him to adapt better to varied conditions at home and overseas.
Australia held their nerve in a tense chase, edging past India by two wickets to seal the series 2-0 despite a late fightback from the visitors on Thursday in Adelaide.
Contradicting his former captain Ian Chappell's statement, Australian pace bowling great Dennis Lillee said there is no reason why India cannot sustain their numero uno Test status.
Karun Nair and Ravichandran Smaran made double hundreds as Karnataka gained upper hand over Kerala on the second day of their Ranji Trophy Elite Group B match.
On a tense Day 4 at The Oval, the England batter blazed his way to a 98-ball century, dragging his team back into the contest and into the history books.
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