Gautam Gambhir the exIndian opener reveals his profound remorse for not witnessing the conclusion of the 2011 ODI World Cup final triumph by Men in Blue. Admitting his role the 42yearold emphasizes his responsibility to see the game through rather than relying on another player.
India triumphantly defeated Sri Lanka by six wickets in a captivating showdown of the 2011 World Cup final at Mumbais iconic Wankhede Stadium. The hosts pursuing a challenging target of 275 faced an early setback with the departure of Virender Sehwag (0) and Sachin Tendulkar (18) leaving the score at a nervewracking 31. However Gautam Gambhir’s exceptional innings of 97 off 122 balls and skipper MS Dhonis unbeaten 91 off 79 deliveries propelled India to a memorable victory stirring emotions and capturing the essence of an unforgettable cricketing triumph.
While he exhibited a stellar performance at the crease an impulsive moment led to Gambhirs dismissal by Thisara Perera with the scoreboard showing 223. However MS Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh (21*) efficiently guided the Men in Blue to victory without facing any further challenges.
At an event hosted by the Indian Chambers of Commerce in Kolkata on Friday, June 21, Gautam Gambhir discussed his knock in the 2011 World Cup final and expressed regret for failing to hit the winning runs.
“I wish I had finished that game. It was my job to finish the game, rather than leaving someone to finish the game. If I had to turn back the clock, I would go back there and score the last run, irrespective of how many runs I scored.”
Gautam Gambhir
Despite not scoring a hundred, Gambhir’s knock helped India win the 2011 World Cup final. The left-hander struck nine fours in a workmanlike innings before being bowled by Perera. However, Dhoni was chosen Player of the Final for to his outstanding performance under pressure.
“No regrets whatsoever” – Gautam Gambhir on short India captaincy stint
During his playing career, Gambhir was frequently regarded as a potential leader. However, he only captained the country in six one-day matches. However, the former opener has no regrets regarding his brief term as skipper. Reflecting on this, the KKR mentor stated:
“I have always thought about performing for the fans, and that has been my thought since the last year of my training career. In the middle, I got this honor of captaining India for six games. I tried doing it to the best of my ability.”Otherwise, I have no regrets whatsoever because my job was not to captain the series. My job was to make my country win, and whichever team I play for, make that team win.”
Gautam Gambhir
In December 2010, India defeated New Zealand 5-0 at home in an ODI series captained by Gautam Gambhir. He also captained the Men in Blue in a one-day match against the West Indies in Chennai in December 2011, which the hosts won by 34 runs.
