The 2011 World Cup triumph will always be etched in the memories of Indian cricketers and fans. Former captain MS Dhoni and left-handed opener Gautam Gambhir were the heroes in the summit clash as they scored 91* and 97 respectively while chasing Sri Lanka’s stiff target of 275.
Soon after Dhoni hit the winning six off Nuwan Kulasekara, all the Indian players went numb with some of them even shedding tears at the Wankhede. It was India’s second World Cup victory after 28 years and was also the ultimate crown in the legendary Sachin Tendulkar’s illustrious cricketing career.
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Recently, Tendulkar recalled the historic World Cup triumph and the celebrations that followed.
"I thought I cried when I hugged Yuvraj (Singh) and that was the moment when I said, this is the moment, this is the reason I started playing.
"There were all kinds of celebrations. The floor, not a single room door was shut. In every room, there was champagne flowing, loud music, celebrations. So I also danced, I normally don't dance much. But I danced with my wife. It was the greatest moment of my life," Tendulkar said on the fourth episode of India Today Inspiration.
The batting maestro also opened up on how all the players sang "Tujhmein rab dikhta hai" for him since the fans hailed him as the God of Cricket.
“Yes they sang that (tujhmein rab dikhta hai) and embarrassed me,” he said.
Sudhir Gautam, who is known as the super fan of Sachin Tendulkar, was also invited into the dressing room by the Master Blaster after the momentous victory.
"You see Sudhir is my fan but he is representing everyone if you see the tri-color on his head. He is not alone, he is representing a billion-plus people. So Sudhir was called on behalf of everyone. The trophy belongs to the entire nation. It is not about a few individuals, it is about our nation.
"And that is the only reason I said (to Sudhir), 'Tum aao kyonki tum support kar rhe ho, tumhare bina stands chup rahenge. Tumhare se jo players ko energy milti hai wo bahut kamaal ki energy hai. Tum aise hi chalu rakhna. Tum aa rhe ho, saare nation ko represent kar rhe ho. Tum akele nhi ho, poora desh ye trophy utha rha hai'. That was the idea," Tendulkar said.
