ICC Cricket World Cup 2011: India's Second Title, Dhoni's 91* in the Final at Mumbai
The ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 was the 10th edition of the tournament, co-hosted by India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh from 19 February to 2 April 2011. India won their second World Cup title by defeating Sri Lanka in the final at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on 2 April 2011. India chased Sri Lanka's 274/6 to win by 6 wickets with 10 balls to spare; MS Dhoni scored a match-winning 91 not out from 79 balls including the winning six off Nuwan Kulasekara that took India to 277/4. Gautam Gambhir scored 97. Sachin Tendulkar (89 Tests) played his last World Cup — the defining motivation throughout the tournament. India's win ended a 28-year wait since the 1983 World Cup triumph. The winning six by Dhoni was voted India's greatest sporting moment by Times of India readers in 2011. Yuvraj Singh won Player of the Tournament with 362 runs and 15 wickets.
The ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 was the 10th edition, co-hosted by India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh from 19 February to 2 April 2011. It was a 14-team tournament, contested in a two-group format with the top four from each group advancing to the quarter-finals. India were strong pre-tournament favourites, playing at home across all but a handful of fixtures and featuring a batting line-up regarded as one of the best assembled for an ICC event. India had won the World Cup in 1983 under Kapil Dev; the 2011 edition ended a 28-year wait for a second title.
The Semi-Final: India vs Pakistan at Mohali
The India–Pakistan semi-final at PCA Stadium, Mohali on 30 March 2011 is widely regarded as one of the most watched and most closely contested ODI matches in cricket history. Pakistan batted first and scored 260/7, with Misbah-ul-Haq (56) and Umar Akmal (29) the principal contributors. India chased 261 through a series of partnerships — Sachin Tendulkar scored 85, Virat Kohli 9, and Suresh Raina 36. India won by 29 runs. The match was watched by an estimated 150 million viewers in India, making it one of the most-watched televised events in Indian history at that point. Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani was invited to the match by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh — a diplomatic gesture that became known as 'cricket diplomacy'.
The Final: Dhoni's Match-Winning 91 Not Out
In the final at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on 2 April 2011, Sri Lanka batted first and scored 274/6 — Mahela Jayawardene scoring 103* from 88 balls. India's chase began badly: Virender Sehwag (0) and Sachin Tendulkar (18) fell early, leaving India 31/2. Virat Kohli (35) and Gautam Gambhir (97) then added 83 for the third wicket; when Kohli was dismissed at 114/3, Dhoni — who had promoted himself above Yuvraj Singh — joined Gambhir. Dhoni scored 91 not out from 79 balls. He hit the winning six off Nuwan Kulasekara — clearing the ropes at long-on — to bring India to 277/4 with 10 balls to spare. MS Dhoni was named Player of the Match; Yuvraj Singh won Player of the Tournament.
Yuvraj Singh: Player of the Tournament
Yuvraj Singh's performance throughout the 2011 World Cup is often overshadowed by the drama of the final but stands as the tournament's most consistent individual contribution. He scored 362 runs at 90.50 including an unbeaten 113 against the West Indies, and took 15 wickets at 25.13 with his left-arm spin. He is the only player in World Cup history to score 300+ runs and take 15+ wickets in the same tournament. The performance was remarkable in context: Yuvraj was battling the early stages of a lung tumour (diagnosed in January 2012) during the tournament and was physically unwell throughout. He underwent chemotherapy after the tournament and returned to cricket the following year.
Frequently asked questions
Why did Dhoni promote himself above Yuvraj Singh to bat in the 2011 World Cup Final?
MS Dhoni promoted himself ahead of Yuvraj Singh to bat in the 2011 World Cup Final at a time when India were 114/3 and needed to consolidate the innings. Dhoni subsequently said that he chose to come in because Sri Lanka's bowlers included predominantly right-arm seamers and spinners, and Dhoni's batting style — bottom-handed and powerful on the leg side — suited the bowling. Yuvraj Singh, by contrast, had been troubled by Sri Lanka's pace bowling earlier in the tournament. Dhoni also brought greater finishing authority: his record in ODI chases was outstanding. The decision proved perfectly correct: he scored 91 not out from 79 balls and hit the winning six. There was brief media speculation after the match about whether the decision was appropriate, but the outcome made it inarguable. Dhoni never publicly explained the full tactical reasoning, and Yuvraj — who was not out at the end on 21* — handled the matter without public complaint.
What made the India vs Pakistan semi-final in 2011 one of the most watched cricket matches in history?
The India vs Pakistan World Cup semi-final at Mohali on 30 March 2011 is estimated to have been watched by 150–180 million viewers in India alone — making it one of the most-watched television broadcasts in Indian history. The match drew this audience for several converging reasons: it was a World Cup semi-final between the two great subcontinental rivals; it was played at home in India; India had not beaten Pakistan in a World Cup knockout match before (they had a perfect group-stage record but had not met at this stage); and the political dimension — Pakistani PM Yousuf Raza Gilani attending as a diplomatic gesture — elevated it beyond sport. A high-profile India-Pakistan World Cup match in this era attracted viewership multiples above any other ODI fixture because cricket is the primary sport in both countries and India-Pakistan is a geopolitical and cultural rivalry that finds its most peaceable expression in sport. The match ended in a 29-run India win; the result triggered public celebrations across India comparable to a national holiday.