Less than a week ago, the cricket community celebrated the 12th anniversary of Team India's historic victory in the 2011 World Cup. On April 2nd, 2011, under the leadership of MS Dhoni, India ended a 28-year drought and secured their first World Cup title by defeating Sri Lanka in the final. This triumph was particularly significant as it marked the first time a host nation had won the coveted trophy.
The image of Dhoni's match-winning six off Nuwan Kulasekara remains etched in the minds of cricket fans worldwide. It is undoubtedly the first thought that comes to mind when reminiscing about India's victory. Now, 12 years later, the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) has erected a memorial at the spot where Dhoni's six landed.
Dhoni, who is currently in Mumbai for the IPL 2023 match against the Mumbai Indians (MI), inaugurated the site a day before the game. The Indian cricket legend was accompanied by members of the state association, who were thrilled to be a part of this momentous occasion.
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Dhoni played a pivotal role in securing the title win, delivering a match-winning performance with an unbeaten 91 runs off 79 balls in the chase to reach the target of 275. Gautam Gambhir also played a crucial role, contributing a match-winning knock of 97 runs off 122 balls. The experienced duo combined forces to add 109 runs for the fourth wicket, propelling India towards a historic victory.
Despite a rocky start to the chase, losing the wickets of Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar within the first seven overs, the team rallied. A young Virat Kohli showed promise but was unable to convert his start into a substantial score, departing for 35.
It was Gambhir and Dhoni who stepped up to the occassion, rescuing India from a precarious position and pushing the team beyond the 200-run mark. After Gambhir's dismissal, Yuvraj Singh joined Dhoni, and the pair added 54 runs for the fifth wicket, ultimately securing the win.
Dhoni's outstanding performance earned him the Player of the Match award, while Yuvraj was recognized as the Player of the Tournament.
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