As the entire nation celebrates the 10th anniversary of India’s famous 2011 ICC World Cup triumph on Friday (April 2), Gautam Gambhir, one of the heroes of the memorable final, has relived the glorious night and explained how teamwork played a crucial role in the team’s remarkable victory.
In the 2011 World Cup final against Sri Lanka at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, the former left-hander made 97 priceless runs after the early collapse to set the platform for then captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni to finish the game with that iconic six for the ages to win the trophy on April 2, 2011.
Hitting the rewind button on the 10th anniversary of India’s World Cup 2011 win, Gambhir has opined that the Indian cricket and the fans must now move beyond that win, saying it is a time for the Indian cricket team to win their next World Cup trophy – next 2023 World Cup will be held in India.
Gambhir told PTI: “It doesn't feel like yesterday. Not for me at least. It's been what, 10 years now? I am not a person who looks back too much. Obviously, it's a proud moment but you know what, it's time for Indian cricket to move forward. Probably, now it's time that we win the next World Cup ASAP.”
The 38-year-old further insisted that the 2011 World Cup-winning squad did not do anything extraordinary, but they just did the job they were picked to do and win the trophy.
He further explained, “In 2011, we didn't do anything that we weren't meant to do. When we were picked to play the World Cup, we were supposed to win the World Cup. When we were selected, we didn't just go out there to compete; we went out there to win.
There were no such emotions as far as I was concerned. We didn't do anything extraordinary, yes we made the country proud, people were happy, it's time to move on to the next World Cup.”
The former cricketer-turned-politician further noted that if India had won the World Cups in 2015 and 2019, then they would be considered a superpower in cricket, but “looking backward” has had limited India’s success at ICC mega-events despite having world-class cricketers at the side.
Gambhir further explained, “Probably, India would have been considered a superpower in world cricket if we had won the 2015 or the 2019 World Cup. It's 10 years and we haven't won another World Cup. That's why I never go too overboard with things that ''oh this is a special achievement.
If I got 97, I was supposed to get those runs. Zaheer Khan's job was to pick wickets. We were supposed to do our jobs. What we did on 2 April, we didn't do anyone any favors. I simply don't understand why people just keep going back and get that high of 1983 or 2011.
Yes, it's nice to talk about it and it's ok. We won the World Cup, but it’s always good to look ahead instead of looking back. More we look backward; we would never able to move ahead.”
He further pointed out that having multiple options has both positives and negatives so it’s very important to have a settled unit for the showpiece events and make sure they have a lot of game time together to achieve success something similar they did before the 2011 World Cup.
The former cricketer further explained, “It's very important to have a settled unit. A settled squad. Had India tried more players during that 2011 World Cup also, we would have got 3-4 players for every slot. More players you try more options you will get. It is as simple as that.
You need to have a settled 15-16 at least six months or a year before the World Cup...we played so much cricket together, and that is the reason for our success. All great teams that have won global events whether India, West Indies, or Australia, have always had a settled squad for a six months period.”
Gambhir further said, “More players, you try, what are you going to achieve out of it? You will only create more competition and more insecurity and only probably create less opportunity for players you think will win the World Cup. That (2011 team) was such a settled unit that people knew two or three months before that World Cup, we are going to be there.”
India’s 2011 World Cup never played together again and the cricketer said: “I know that's probably the worst thing. Bhajji once told me that. Probably the better person to ask the question is the erstwhile coach (Duncan Fletcher who took over immediately after Gary Kirsten's departure at the end of the World Cup), the captain (MS Dhoni), and the selectors (K Srikkanth and Co).”
He signed off by saying, “I don't think this has happened in international ODI cricket history that a team that won a World Cup never played a single match together again.”
(With PTI Inputs)
