World Cup: In Indian cricket, April 2, 2011, will always be remembered in golden letters. Fourteen years ago today, at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, India defeated Sri Lanka by six wickets to win the ODI World Cup. After Kapil Dev, MS Dhoni was the only other Indian captain to raise the prized trophy.
Choosing to bat first, Sri Lanka scored a respectable 274/6. Their best player was Mahela Jayawardene, who hit 13 fours and an undefeated 103 off 88 balls. Their innings gained late impetus because of Thisara Perera’s explosive 22 from 9 balls. Yuvraj Singh and Zaheer Khan each claimed two wickets for India.
Happy birthday @msdhoni!
Re-live his winning six that clinched India the @cricketworldcup title in 2011! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/ApdkX8W5dh
— ICC (@ICC) July 7, 2018
However, Gautam Gambhir steadied the ship with a crucial 97-run knock before being bowled out by Perera. MS Dhoni remained undefeated on 91 off 79 balls, leading India to victory with 10 balls remaining. In response, India suffered early setbacks as Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag were dismissed cheaply.
During the World Cup, India was a strong competitor. The first team to win the prestigious trophy at home was MS Dhoni’s team, and this pattern persisted for the following two editions. The members of the Indian playing XI have moved on in the fourteen years since that victory in Mumbai. Here is the players from the World Cup team and their positions in the cricket arena:
Virender Sehwag:
Sehwag, who is referred to as the Nawab of Najafgarh, last represented India in 2013. He is currently a well-known sports media specialist and pundit in Hindi.
Sachin Tendulkar:
Sachin Tendulkar, the IPL legend of the Mumbai Indians, has also taken part in competitions for ex-players. He recently participated in the 2025 International Masters League, where India Masters Won.
Gautam Gambhir:
Gautam Gambhir, the current head coach of the Indian men’s cricket team, coached the Kolkata Knight Riders in the 2024 Indian Premier League.
Virat Kohli: Virat Kohli, 36, is the only member of the 2011 World Cup winning team still playing for India and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and is still playing at the highest level.
MS Dhoni:
Since the 2019 World Cup semi-final, MS Dhoni, who turns 44 in July, has only ever played for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the IPL. Although he has continued to play in the IPL, he announced his retirement from International cricket on August 15, 2020. As of IPL 2025, Dhoni is the oldest cricket player.
Yuvraj Singh:
Despite his 2019 retirement from international cricket, Yuvraj Singh has continued to play in international T20 tournaments, such as GT20 Canada. Additionally, he coaches young cricket players like Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill.
Suresh Raina:
Suresh Raina is an IPL 2025 commentator in Hindi. In September 2022, he declared his retirement from cricket in all its forms.
Harbhajan Singh:-
Former Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh is still active on social media, just like Raina, a Hindi pundit. After participating in the IPL, the off-spinner became one of the most accomplished cricket players, playing for the Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians.
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