The 2011 World Cup triumph will always be etched in the memories of Indian cricketers and fans. It was India’s second World Cup win after 28 years.
On April 2, 2021, the country is rejoicing the 10th anniversary of World Cup victory and ex-pacer Ashish Nehra, who was part of the winning squad, also shared a fascinating anecdote from the event.
In an exclusive interview with CricketNext, Nehra revealed he knew two days earlier that he won’t be playing the World Cup final against Sri Lanka. Despite that, the former left-arm fast bowler was in great spirits.
“I came to know 48 hours before the final that I was not playing. When I left Chandigarh, I left thinking I’d play the final but my hand got so big that it needed surgery. By that time, I had enough experience, I was nearing 32, and I was part of the World Cup before also (in 2003),” Nehra said.
“No point now in sitting and crying that I could not play the World Cup final. Whichever way I could help the team, I was happy. I knew I could not go inside the field. I knew I could not field. At least I could serve water to the players. I moved on,” he added.
India had defeated Sri Lanka by 6 wickets in the final to lift the 2011 World Cup. Former opener Gautam Gambhir and then skipper Dhoni were the heroes in the summit clash as they scored 97 and 91* respectively while chasing Sri Lanka’s stiff target of 275.
Yuvraj Singh was awarded Player-of-the-Tournament for his stellar showing throughout the campaign. With 482 runs to his name, legendary Sachin Tendulkar was the second highest run-getter in the showpiece event whereas pacer Zaheer Khan was the joint highest wicket-taker with 21 scalps.
Besides, the likes of Virender Sehwag, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, among others have also played a key role during the successful campaign.
