Former captain Sourav Ganguly has singled out MS Dhoni’s famous six that won India the World Cup in 2011 as the moment that will remain special in the annals of Indian cricket. After Dhoni hit the winning six off Nuwan Kulasekara, Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium erupted on the night of April 2, 2011 as India won the World Cup after 28 years and became the first team to win the tournament at home.
Ganguly, under whom India reached the final of the World Cup in 2003 but finished runner-up, admitted he was happy to see the team going the distance after coming so close to the title eight years ago in South Africa.
“For me the biggest day was when India won the World Cup in 2011. The great MS Dhoni... that shot, that six off the last ball will remain in Indian cricket history forever and what a moment it was,” Ganguly said in an online video lecture for Unacademy.
“I remember I was at the Wankhede Stadium that night and I came down from the commentary box to watch Dhoni and the team go around the ground. In 2003 the team which I was the captain lost the final to Australia so I was so happy to see Dhoni have the opportunity to win that trophy.”
India’s 2011 World Cup squad had several players from the team that reached the final in Johannesburg in 2003. Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra and Harbhajan Singh were the five players whose wait for a World Cup win finally ended, and Ganguly was glad knowing that some of the players who made their debuts under him, realised their dream.
{{/usCountry}}India’s 2011 World Cup squad had several players from the team that reached the final in Johannesburg in 2003. Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra and Harbhajan Singh were the five players whose wait for a World Cup win finally ended, and Ganguly was glad knowing that some of the players who made their debuts under him, realised their dream.
{{/usCountry}}“That team had seven or eight players who started their careers under me. The likes of (Virender) Sehwag, Dhoni himself, Yuvraj (Singh), Zaheer (Khan), Harbhajan Singh, Ashish Nehra. So I think that’s a legacy which I was extremely happy to leave behind as a captain. And that was my biggest legacy that I left a side which had the ability of winning at home and away from home,” Ganguly added