Team India’s 2011 World Cup win remains etched in the memory of every cricket fan. It was after 28 years that the Men in Blue lifted the elusive trophy. And the win came in front of the home crowd. The pressure of chase in the final was always there and at one stage, Sri Lanka did hold an upper hand as India had lost 2 wickets in the first 10 overs.
After a forgettable run in the previous edition of the tournament, MS Dhoni played a key role and changed the team’s fortunes. In the final too, he led the team from the front and promoted himself ahead of Yuvraj Singh.
India were 3 down for 114 when the captain joined Gautam Gambhir in the middle. The senior duo added 109 runs for the 4th wicket to put India on the brink of victory before Gambhir was dismissed for 97.
Dhoni continued to hold one end and hit that memorable six off Nuwan Kulasekara to seal the title win. Dhoni’s bat with which he played in the final was in huge demand and fetched Rs 72 lakhs in an auction later that year.
As per a report back then, the bat was auctioned off 100,000 pounds in July 2011. The money was used for his charitable foundation.
In the final, it was the only time in the tournament when Dhoni breached the 50-run mark. It was a big call to bat ahead of an in-form Yuvraj Singh and the move paid dividends.
Yuvraj was bestowed with the Player of the Tournament award for 362 runs and 15 wickets. With 482 runs, Sachin Tendulkar finished the tournament as the 2nd-highest run-scorer. Zaheer Khan scalped 21 wickets to finish as joint-highest wicket-taker.
India couldn’t defend the title in 2015 and crashed out after losing to Australia in the semi-final. In 2019, the Virat Kohli-led side lost to New Zealand in the semis in a two-day affair. The 2023 WC will be played in India and the Men in Blue will enter the tournament as strong title contenders.
