3 most emotional moments for Indian cricket in this decade

2. The most heartbreaking run out

A moment of brilliance on the field by New Zealander Martin Guptill denied India’s chances of bringing the third World Cup home in a nail-biting semi-final at Old Trafford Stadium on 10th July 2019. Team India lost the thrilling encounter by 18 runs when they failed to chase New Zealand’s target of 240 after putting up a determined run chase.

After all-rounder, Ravindra Jadeja’s heroics with the bat ended at 77 (59), it all came down to Dhoni 50(72) to finish the business for India. A master of crunch situations, Dhoni played a slow yet calculated knock – one that let Jadeja play freely from the other end.

Once reeling at 92/6, the duo’s spirited partnership of 116 kept India very much alive in the run chase. But once Jadeja departed, India needed 32 runs from 13 balls. Four balls and a six later, the hopes of everyone supporting the Men in Blue shattered in a million pieces when Dhoni chipped for a double.

A slight hesitation between Dhoni and Bhuvneshwar Kumar saw the former struggling to get back to the striker’s end. Guptill, out of nowhere, charged in and returned a lightning-quick throw directly aimed at the stumps that saw Dhoni short of the crease. Dhoni’s exit was soon followed by India’s exit from the World Cup – their second consecutive semi-final loss to New Zealand. And just like that, the gap between Dhoni’s bat and the safety became the most heart-breaking moment of the year for the Indian fans.