MS Dhoni-led team India scripted history at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on April 2, 2011 as the Men in Blue became the first team to win cricket’s biggest extravaganza as hosts.
Former India opener Gambhir had hammered 97 runs in the 2011 World Cup final against Sri Lanka at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai to help India in winning the trophy.
Reflecting upon the win, former India batsman Gautam Gambhir said that it is time the Indian cricket and fans move beyond the 2011 World Cup and win the next World Cup.
Gambhir’s comments came on the 10th anniversary of India’s World Cup triumph on April 2, 2011.
“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,” Gambhir told news agency PTI.
We Didn’t Do Anything Extraordinary: Gautam Gambhir
The cricketer-turned-parliamentarian also expressed that people should not go overboard about past World Cup wins because the players who competed were meant give it their best shot and they did so as their professional duty.
“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,” Gambhir said.
“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,” he said.
Gambhir further pointed that if India had won the next two World Cups as well, they would be considered as superpower in cricket.
“Probably, India would have been considered super power 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 April 2, we didn’t do anyone any favours,” he added.
“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 its always good to look ahead instead of looking back.
“More we look backwards, we would never able to move ahead,” Gambhir signed off.
Batting first, riding on a magnificent century from Mahela Jayawardene (103), Sri Lanka reached a respectable 274-run total with the loss of six wickets.
In reply, Lasith Malinga provided two early blows to Team India by dismissing Virender Sehwag (0) and Sachin Tendulkar (18) with just 31 runs on board. Gambhir (97), Virat Kohli (35) and MS Dhoni (91) held on to their nerves as India ended its 28-year-old wait for another World Cup title.
