On this day in 2011
India won the World Cup after defeating Sri Lanka in the final at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium.
India lifted the World Cup on home soil on this day in 2011, sending the whole nation into euphoria. India had previously captured the prestigious trophy in 1983, but had to wait a long time to replicate the feat. India captured their second ODI title on April 2, 2011, when they defeated Sri Lanka in the final at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, led by MS Dhoni. Gautam Gambhir’s genius knock, MS Dhoni’s classic six, Sachin Tendulkar being dragged across the field by his teammates, to list a few memorable moments from that day.
On its Twitter account, the International Cricket Council (ICC) posted a snippet of some of the highlights from the thrilling final.
With Mahela Jayawardene’s unbeaten century, Sri Lanka had set India a challenging target of 274 for six. Thisara Perera’s late blitz of 22 off 9 balls had given the Lankans the upper hand in the chase against India.
On the second ball, Virender Sehwag was sent back to the pavilion, giving India the worst possible start. Sachin Tendulkar, his opening partner, didn’t last long either, being dismissed in the seventh over to place India on the back foot.
Following Kohli’s dismissal, Dhoni was elevated, and he and Gambhir put on a 109-run stand to put India within striking distance. Gambhir dropped three points short of a deserving win, and Yuvraj Singh, the World Cup Player of the Year, entered the fray.
With 10 balls to spare, the stylish left-hander and skipper Dhoni got India over the line, with the latter remaining unbeaten on 91 off just 79 balls. Dhoni rounded it off with a six off Nuwan Kulasekara’s bowling, with Yuvraj enveloping his teammate in an embrace in joyous scenes that will live on in Indian fans’ minds forever.