A Night at the Wankhede: India Relives Cricket World Cup Glory On This Day in 2011

After India secured their maiden World Cup in 1983, the nation had to wait for as long as 28 years to recapture the coveted title. It was on April 2, 2011, when the Men in Blue triumphed over Sri Lanka at a full-house Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai to claim the trophy. Thirteen years have passed since the historic occasion, but the victorious moment remains in the heart of every Indian cricket fan. Led by the legendary captain MS Dhoni, India showcased their dominance throughout the campaign on home soil.

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The hosts endured a single defeat and drew one match against England in the group stage before overcoming Australia and Pakistan in the knockout games respectively. On the day of the final, the Wankhede witnessed a sea of blue, with the tri-colour flying high in every nook and corner of the stadium. The then-Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara won the toss and elected to bat first.

To mark the occasion, Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar took to social media platform X, formerly Twitter, on Tuesday, April 2, 2024, and posted: “Thirteen years ago, my childhood dream turned into reality. Forever grateful for the memories, the team, and the incredible support of over a billion people.”

Zaheer Khan brought India the first wicket in the seventh over by dismissing Upul Tharanga. Another Sri Lankan opener Tillakaratne Dilshan also failed to survive long and was sent packing by Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh. That’s when Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene took over the charge. The legendary duo stitched a crucial 62-run partnership before Yuvraj Singh got rid of Sangakkara at 48.

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The upcoming batters of the visiting unit surrendered early infront of the Indian bowlers. Despite getting a little support from his teammates, Mahela Jayawardene struck an unbeaten century, helping Sri Lanka reach a comprehensive total of 274 runs. His 103-run knock was comprised of 13 boundaries.

India could not make a positive start, with Lasith Malinga silencing the home crowd by sending off Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar early in the chase. The wickets certainly put some pressure on India. Then came a young Virat Kohli, who paired up with Gautam Gambhir to begin the rescue operation.

The duo contributed 83 runs to the scoresheet before Kohli was trapped for a catch by Tillakaratne Dilshan. Yuvraj Singh was expected to come in next but MS Dhoni decided to promote himself up in the order.

The Indian captain went on to take down the Sri Lanka spinners including Muttiah Muralitharan, taking advantage of the dew factor. He racked up a 109-run partnership with Gambhir, who headed back to the pavilion for 97 runs. Dhoni remained unbeaten till the end and folded at 91 runs. He was the one who sailed India across the victory line with a giant six in the 49th over.