On this day in 2011, MS Dhoni-led India recaptured the ICC Cricket World Cup that they first won in 1983 under the leadership of Kapil Dev. Dhoni led from the front as he struck a six to guide India to a six-wicket win over Sri Lanka, chasing a record total in a World Cup final match at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.
Dhoni remained not out on 91 with Yuvraj Singh (21*) on the other side when India clinched their second World Cup. Left-handed top-order batsman Gautam Gambhir also impressed with a 97-run knock in the final that saw veterans like Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar losing their wickets for 0 and 18 respectively.
India's current skipper Virat Kohli, who has his eyes firmly set on the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup, managed to make 35 runs in the 2011 World Cup final.
As the special occasion completes its seven glorious years, let's have a look back at the heroes of India's 2011 World Cup win.
Sachin Tendulkar
Watching Sachin Tendulkar bat in the 2011 World Cup was one of the most cherishable sights of the 50-over mega event. The master-blaster scored 482 runs in nine matches of the tournament with two fifties, two centuries and a highest knock of 120 runs.
Sachin was the second-highest run-scorer in the 2011 World Cup, while Sri Lanka's Tillakaratne Dilshan claimed the top position with 500 runs from nine matches.
Zaheer Khan
On the bowling front, left-arm pacer Zaheer Khan led India's attack and notched up 21 wickets in nine matches to become joint-highest wicket-taking bowler with Pakistan's Shahid Afridi, who claimed the same number of wickets in eight matches.
Yuvraj Singh
The player-of-the-tournament, Yuvraj Singh presented an inspiring tale of his true love for the game of cricket. Besides 362 runs at an average of 90.50 and 15 wickets in nine matches of the World Cup, a revelation that he was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor in his left lung made him a true white hat.
Following the World Cup triumph, the left-handed batsman underwent chemotherapy treatment in Boston and Indianapolis and made a comeback to the international cricket in 2012.
Gautam Gambhir
Gautam Gambhir, who is currently vying for a comeback in the Indian national cricket team, deserves a big share of credit for India's stirring World Cup win. He made 393 runs in nine matches with four fifty-plus knocks and tournament-best knock of 97 runs that he slammed in the final.
Virender Sehwag
Former India opener Virender Sehwag remained an entertainer even after his retirement as subsequent to his on-field batting heroics, the Delhi batsman came up with his best wittiness on Twitter. However, his contribution in India's World Cup victory wasn't less immense.
Batting in eight matches of the World Cup, Sehwag accumulated 380 runs with a century and a half-ton. He also scored the tournament-highest knock of 175 runs, which came against Bangladesh in the opening match on February 19, 2011. The 140-ball noteworthy knock was decorated with five sixes and 14 boundaries.
