The Indian squad for the ICC World Cup 2023 has been announced with Rohit Sharma leading the 15-man team. While India’s eyes are set on becoming the fourth consecutive host nation to win the tournament, predictions have been made about which players could stun the world with their exemplary performances this year.
Back in 2011 when India took the coveted trophy to its camp, it was one of the hosts for the matches. A win is always a collective effort by a team, but some players always stand out and go down in the books for future players to see and draw inspiration from.
Let’s flip those pages and witness four Indian players who shone in their full glory as India lifted its second World Cup trophy.
‘Captain Cool’ MS Dhoni
It is a fact well established that not just MS Dhoni’s flawless performance but the sense of calmness he brings to the game also played an instrumental role in India’s success. As a captain, he made some very crucial tactical decisions throughout the tournament, which included field placements and bowling changes. Known as ‘Captain Cool’, Dhoni hardly ever bowed down in the face of pressure.
During the World Cup 2011, Dhoni played several significant meaningful innings. He sealed India’s final win against Sri Lanka with a towering six. In that match, he lived up to his rank and played a captain’s knock by scoring an unbeaten 91 runs off 79 balls with eight fours and two sixes. The skipper ended the tournament with 241 runs in his bank, with one half-century.
Even behind the wickets, Dhoni left no stone unturned in pushing India towards victory. Throughout the tournament, he was India’s man behind the wickets and was agile with sharp skills and reflexes.
Overall, Dhoni’s batting prowess, along with his captaincy and wicket-keeping skills, were key factors in India’s successful campaign in the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup. He will always be remembered as the captain who led India to its second World Cup title.
‘Master Blaster’ Sachin Tendulkar
Widely regarded as one of the greatest cricketers of all time, ‘Master Blaster’ Sachin Tendulkar finally got a chance to hold what had been his lifelong dream, the World Cup trophy.
The cricketing legend scored a total of 482 runs in the 2011 World Cup and scored two centuries. Have no doubt about his performance throughout the tournament. Many would say it was next to impossible to take the trophy home without this legend’s understanding of the game and his exceptional skills. He was the highest run scorer for India and the second highest run scorer overall. Tendulkar hit centuries against England (120) and South Africa (111). In the semi-finals against Pakistan, he scored a crucial 85 runs.
During the 2011 World Cup, Sachin Tendulkar became the first batsman in the history of the tournament to score 2,000 runs. His presence in the team was inspirational, and his contributions played a part in India’s successful campaign.
‘Player of the Tournament‘ Yuvraj Singh
With a total of 362 runs and 15 wickets to his name in the tournament, India’s ‘Yuvi’ was crowned as the ‘Player of the Tournament’ in World Cup 2011. He became only the third player after Aravinda de Silva and Lance Klusener to win four Man-of-the-Match awards in one World Cup. Throughout the tournament, Yuvraj Singh made exceptional contributions with both bat and ball.
In the group stage, Yuvi hit a crucial 113 runs off 123 balls against the West Indies. In the knockout stage, he played a vitall role in India’s success. He scored an unbeaten 57 runs against Australia in the quarter-finals, pushing India closer to victory.
Yuvraj was one of the leading wicket-takers in the tournament. His bowling figures of 5 wickets for 31 runs against Ireland in a group-stage match were particularly impressive.
Passionate Gautam Gambhir
With a total of 393 runs to his name in the tournament, Gautam Gambhir is known as one of the most passionate players India has ever had. His passionate aggression for the game and zeal to lead his team to victory are contagious. Not so surprisingly, he stood as the second-highest scorer for team India at the end of the tournament.
Gambhir scored crucial runs in several matches, including four half-centuries. In the final match against Sri Lanka, he held strong and went on to add 97 runs in the team’s camp, off 122 balls, with nine fours. He was the highest scorer for Team India that day.
Gautam Gambhir’s consistency and match-winning performances, particularly in the final, were instrumental in India’s triumph in the 2011 World Cup. His partnership with MS Dhoni in the final was one of the defining moments of the tournament and helped India lift the World Cup for the second time in their history.