Gautam Gambhir Regrets Not Finishing Match Before MS Dhoni in 2011 World Cup Final

Former Indian opener Gautam Gambhir has admitted his regret about not being able to finish the match for India during the 2011 ODI World Cup final.

India defeated Sri Lanka by six wickets in the 2011 World Cup final at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. This remains India’s most recent World Cup win, as they have not claimed another ODI World Cup title since then.

Chasing 275, the home team suffered early blows with Virender Sehwag (0) and Sachin Tendulkar (18) departing early, leaving the score at just 31 runs.

Gautam Gambhir, however, anchored the innings with a top score of 97 runs off 122 balls, while captain MS Dhoni showcased leadership with an unbeaten 91 off 79 balls.

After playing a stellar innings, Gambhir was dismissed by Thisara Perera at 223 runs due to a lapse in judgement. However, Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh (21*) then safely steered the Men in Blue to victory.

Addressing an event hosted by the Indian Chambers of Commerce in Kolkata on June 21, Gambhir reflected on his innings during the 2011 World Cup final, and also talked about regret over not being the one to score the winning runs.

“I wish I had finished that game. It was my job to finish the game, rather than leaving someone to finish the game. If I had to turn back the clock, I would go back there and score the last run, irrespective of how many runs I scored,” he was quoted as saying by PTI.

Gautam Gambhir is set to rejoin Team India in a new capacity as head coach following the 2024 T20 World Cup. With his guidance, India will focus on clinching ICC trophies.