The stadium singing Vande Mataram was Dhoni’s most memorable moment from 2011 World Cup final

Speaking at event commemorating India’s 2011 World Cup win, the former skipper revealed he was overcome with emotion minutes before he scored the iconic six to seal the chase against Sri Lanka at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

Published : Apr 02, 2023 23:18 IST , CHENNAI - 2 MINS READ

FILE PHOTO: M.S. Dhoni hitting the winnings six in the India vs Sri Lanka 2011 World Cup final in Mumbai.
FILE PHOTO: M.S. Dhoni hitting the winnings six in the India vs Sri Lanka 2011 World Cup final in Mumbai. | Photo Credit: AFP
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FILE PHOTO: M.S. Dhoni hitting the winnings six in the India vs Sri Lanka 2011 World Cup final in Mumbai. | Photo Credit: AFP

On the 12th anniversary of India’s 2011 World Cup triumph, M.S. Dhoni, who led the team to victory, recalled the journey of his side through the tournament.

The former India skipper revealed he was overcome with emotion minutes before he scored the iconic six to seal the chase against Sri Lanka at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

“It was not the winning moment; it was 15-20 minutes before. We didn’t need a lot of runs; the partnership was well-placed, and we knew we would win. The stadium started to sing Vande Mataram. That atmosphere, I feel, is very difficult to recreate,” said Dhoni on Sunday at an event in which he was gifted a FanCraze digital collectable of the winning shot.

Speaking about handling pressure, Dhoni said, “What I always firmly believe is to keep your eyes on the target. The moment you start thinking a lot about why you want to win it, you start focusing more on the result. That’s the time you start mounting undue pressure on yourself.”

The 2011 World Cup triumph was particularly significant as it helped Sachin Tendulkar realise his long-cherished dream and Dhoni spoke about wanting to win it for the legendary player. 

“We almost knew that it was paaji’s (Tendulkar) last World Cup and throughout the tournament, we had the feeling that we want to do it for him,” said Dhoni.

“But at the same time, often you have something going in your mind where you say, ‘God has given him everything. And God keeps one thing away from every individual. Is it that 50-over World Cup that God has decided that he will keep with himself?’

“We said we will try our best, we will make sure that we are giving a 100% when it comes to the cricket matches and we will accept the results. In the end, very happy to be on the winning side, but it took a lot from the full team and the support staff,” added the 41-year-old.

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