Indian cricketers relive the 2011 World Cup win on Twitter

4 runs, 11 balls, 1.2 billion people praying. Then came the strike that sent the entire nation into raptures.

By Unmesh Arun Phule

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MS Dhoni World Cup six
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Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni hits a six to win against Sri Lanka as teammate Yuvraj Singh reacts during the Cricket World Cup 2011 final. (Photo by INDRANIL MUKHERJEE/AFP/Getty Images)

“Dhoni finishes off in style, a magnificent strike into the crowd, India lift the World Cup after 28 years,” that Ravi Shastri commentary and that magnificent strike of MS Dhoni and that moment when 1.2 billion people were united is just a moment of its own.

The Indians had seen it all, the 1996 semifinals at Eden Gardens when Vinod Kambli cried with the whole nation, the 2003 World Cup final when Ricky Ponting took away the dream and the 2007 disappointment. This was kind of a revenge for each and every scar after 28 years later when India deserved it more than any team. Gary Kirsten said that they knew the day before the final that they were going to win and such was the confidence of that team.

The burden of not winning a world cup for 28 years for a nation like India which feeds on cricket is just massive. MS Dhoni was captaining not only those 11 players on the field but also the 1.2 billion people off the field. After Mahela Jayawardene’s century and 275 to chase in the final of the World Cup, it was going to be a huge task.

Virender Sehwag, back in the hut after 2 deliveries, Sachin Tendulkar’s dismissal shook the entire stadium that it forgot to notice that it was the last time the maestro was batting for India in the world cups. The ever so noisy Wankhede Stadium was silent, the Sri Lankans were winning it for now. And in came MS Dhoni.

MS Dhoni had hardly performed well with his bat during the tournament but that performance was due and he knew it. He just came out and conquered and not to forget Gautam Gambhir’s knock of 97 which actually laid the foundation for the Indian captain.

The stage was set for MS Dhoni to finish the things in his style. The finisher of the quality which no one can ever achieve had a chance to do it. 4 runs, 11 balls, 1.2 billion people praying. Then came the strike that sent the entire nation into raptures.

In 1983 people were on the roads celebrating the famous World Cup win of the underdogs, in 2011 people were celebrating the win of a team which was no longer an underdog. They had beaten the defending champions in the quarter-finals, sent their arch rivals packing in the semis and beat the team that ended their 1996 dream in the finals. The win was for the little master who had carried the nation for 24 years and it was for the people who had struggled with the team for 28 years.

Each and every moment of the 28-year-old struggle was revisited as Dhoni hit that shot. Six years later, that shot still brings tears to everyone’s eyes. 2nd April is still the day when India won the world cup and it will be that way for centuries to come.

The Indian players and former cricketers remembered the day in their own style. Some were glum and teary while others were joyous and nostalgic. Let us have a look at how the cricketers that actually won the world cup reacted.

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IndiaSri LankaVirender SehwagMahela JayawardeneGautam GambhirSachin TendulkarMS Dhoni