India's 2011 World Cup winners: From Dhoni to Gambhir, where are they now?

It is the 10th anniversary of the day when Mahendra Singh Dhoni finished the game with a six that ended India’s 28-year-wait for its second cricket world cup title. April 2, 2011, will remain etched in the memories of millions of cricket lovers who missed Kapil Dev and Co’s heroics on the way to India’s first title on the biggest stage in 1983.

A decade has passed since 2011 and the world has witnessed some major events, including a pandemic.

While some of the 11 men in blue, who played the final against Sri Lanka in Mumbai’s famous Wankhede stadium, have become senior members in the current Indian squad, others have retired and moved on from cricket to other fields. On this 10th anniversary, we take a look at where these players are.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni

Captain cool, who lead India to its second world cup title, retired from all forms of international cricket on 15th August 2020. He is currently the captain of Indian Premier League team Chennai Super Kings.

Virender Sehwag

Virender Sehwag and Zaheer Khan

Known for his attacking style of play, Sehwag retired from international cricket on 20 October 2015. He was the vice-captain of the team and had scored 380 runs in the 2011 World Cup, playing a key role in guiding the team towards the title.

Sachin Tendulkar

Not much needs to be said about the God of Cricket. The 2011 tournament was his 6th and last World Cup appearance. In the 2011 event, he scored a total of 482 runs. He retired in 2013. He currently owns the Indian Super League team Kerala Blasters.

Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli. Photo: Sportzpics for BCCI

Kohli, who was a 22-year-old talent in 2011, is now considered as one of the best batsmen in the world. He leads the Indian national team in all three formats and recently led India against England. He is also the captain of Indian Premier League side Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Yuvraj Singh

Yuvi was named as the Player of the Tournament in the 2011 World Cup. He took 15 wickets and had scored 362 runs in the tournament. Later, he was diagnosed with cancer which he fought back to stage a comeback in 2012. He retired from all forms of cricket and IPL in 2019.

Suresh Raina

Suresh Raina

Raina’s performance against Australia and Pakistan during the World Cup will be remembered by the fans. He was one of the important members of the batting department. However, after the World Cup, inconsistency crept into his game. He last played for India in 2018. He is currently the member of the IPL team Chennai Super Kings. 

Gautam Gambhir

Gautam Gambhir

Gambhir scored an important 97 run in the final of the World Cup which stabilised the Indian side and gave Dhoni the opportunity to finish the game. He retired in 2018 and later fought Lok Sabha election from East Delhi constituency on a BJP ticket. He is now a member of parliament. 

Ravichandran Ashwin

Ashwin remains one of India’s best spinners. While he continues to be part of the Test team, he hasn’t played in ODI or T20 format since 2017. In IPL, he plays for Delhi Capitals.

Piyush Chawla

Chawla was a part of the World Cup winning squad but hasn’t played for India since 2012. He continues to play Ranji Trophy for Gujarat and will represent Mumbai Indians in the IPL this year.

Harbhajan Singh

Harbhajan Singh

One of the best off spinners the world of cricket has seen, Bhajji has last played for India in 2016. He will represent Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL this season. He has taken more than 700 international wickets for India in his career which started in 1998. 

Zaheer Khan

An integral part of the 2011 World Cup winning team, Khan retired from cricket in 2015. He later joined the Mumbai Indians team as the director of cricket. He is responsible for nurturing young talents. His last game for India was in January 2014. 

Munaf Patel

Munaf Patel (Photo: PTI)

Munaf Patel is sometimes referred to as the unsung hero of the 2011 tournament. He took 11 wickets in the tournament helping India to its second world title. However, Patel lacked consistency after the tournament and performed poorly. His last game for India came in 2011. He retired from all forms of cricket in 2018. 

S Sreesanth

S Sreesanth was a surprise pick for the World Cup. He failed justify his selection for the national side as he went wicketless in the tournament.  Later, he was banned for life by the BCCI for spot-fixing in IPL. His sentence was reduced by the Supreme Court and in 2021 he made his return to cricket in the Vijay Hazare Trophy tournament representing Kerala.