CWC History: India’s 2011 World Cup winners - Where are they now?

We are only a week away from the blockbuster cricketing event - ICC Cricket World Cup 2019. The hosts will kick off the campaign against South Africa at The Oval on June 30.

Travelling eight years back in time, India lifted their second ODI World Cup at the Eden Gardens as MS Dhoni & Co. beat Sri Lanka by six wickets in the final on 2 April 2011. It was a complete performance by the hosts who played some sublime cricket throughout the tournament.

Indian had some high profile names in the squad and the expectations were high as it was touted to be the last World Cup for the ‘little master’. India left no stones unturned and emerged victorious in the tournament.

Eight years have since passed and here we take a look at the 2011 World Cup-winning XI and see where they are currently.

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Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag

Sachin Tendulkar was the second highest run-scorer of the tournament with 482 runs in 9 innings

Sachin Tendulkar lifted his first World Cup in the sixth and final attempt. Having made his debut for India in 1989, the legendary batsman played the game for almost 24 years at the highest level. Sachin Tendulkar broke numerous records throughout his professional career.

Tendulkar retired from ODIs in December 2012 and later quit T20s in October 2013. He retired from all forms of cricket by the end of 2013. He then ventured into ISL and PBL as a franchise owner. He is also a mentor for Mumbai Indians in IPL.

One of the most belligerent opening batsmen Indian cricket has ever produced, Virender Sehwag went on to dominate the game for almost a decade. The Delhi opener amassed more than 8000 runs in both ODIs and Tests.

He finally hung up his boot in 2015. He acted as a mentor for Kings XI Punjab in IPL for three years (2016-2018). Sehwag hasn’t ventured into a full-time commentator role yet and return as a coach in the near future also cannot be ruled out.

Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, and Yuvraj Singh

Gautam Gambhir's knock of 97 in the final proved to be a vital boost for India

Having featured in 58 Tests and 147 ODIs for India, Gautam Gambhir announced his retirement in December 2018. A successful opening batsman for India, Gambhir played a pivotal role in India’s World Cup success, including a brilliant 97 in the final against Sri Lanka.

Gambhir’s last appearance for India came in January 2013. He led Kolkata Knight Riders to IPL title in 2012 and 2014 and was released by the franchise after IPL 2017. He played a year for Delhi Daredevils and found no suitors in IPL 2019. He has turned politician recently and contested in the East Delhi parliamentary constituency as a BJP candidate during the 2019 elections.

This man needs no introduction at the moment. The Indian captain is at the peak of his career and will shoulder India’s hopes at the 2019 World Cup in England. Having made his debut in 2008, Virat Kohli is arguably the best batsman in the world right now. He took over the Test captaincy role in 2014 and became the ODI captain in 2017. Kohli is also the fastest man to 10000 runs in ODIs.

Man of the Tournament in the 2011 World Cup, Yuvraj Singh played a huge role in India’s limited-overs success for more than a decade. The left-handed batsman made his ODI debut in 2000 and went on to play 304 games for India. He was crucial in India’s World T20 success in 2007 and replicated the same in 2011.

A phenomenal hitter and a handy off-spinner, Yuvraj was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor in 2011. Though he made his comeback a year later, he was never the same player. He last played for India in 2017 and represented Mumbai Indians in IPL 2019.

MS Dhoni and Suresh Raina

MS played a match-winning knock of 91* in the finals

One of India’s iconic sporting figures, MS Dhoni led the team to World Cup title in 2011. He led them from the front and scored a match-winning 91* in the final against Sri Lanka. He stepped down from ODI captaincy in 2017 and most likely playing his last World Cup. Dhoni has scored 10500 runs in ODIs at a stunning average of 50.72. Dhoni is also the current captain of Chennai Super Kings and led them to three IPL titles.

Suresh Raina made his international debut for Team India in 2005 when he was just 18. Raina has played 226 One Day Internationals, 18 Tests, and 78 T20I for India so far. The UP lad lost his place in the Indian team and last played an international game in July 2018. However, the 32-year-old still is an integral part of the Chennai Super Kings franchise and expected to feature in IPL 2020. He still has a few years of cricket left in him.

Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Munaf Patel, and S Sreesanth

Shanthakumaran Sreesanth

Harbhajan Singh is one of the best spinners to have ever played for India. The off-spinner has picked up more than 700 wickets for India. He was a key member of the Indian team for almost 15 years and played a big part in India’s success at home and overseas. The 38-year-old lost his steam after Kumble’s retirement and the rise of Ravi Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, and Kuldeep Yadav did not help either. However, he is still going strong in the Indian Premier League.

Zaheer Khan led the Indian pace attack for almost a decade and finished as the joint highest wicket-taker in the 2011 World Cup. His career was hampered by injuries during the later stages and he eventually retired in 2015. He played for Delhi Daredevils in IPL 2016 and 2017 but withdrew himself from the 2018 IPL auction. Ahead of IPL 2019, Mumbai Indians appointed Zaheer as the Director of Cricket Operations. He has also featured behind the commentary box in the past year.

One of the most gifted pacers, Munaf Patel failed to live up to his potential in international cricket. Patel played eight games for India in the 2011 World Cup and picked up 11 wickets in the tournament. However, he last played an ODI game in 2011. He played IPL till 2017 and announced his retirement in November 2018. Munaf has represented India in 70 ODIs and 13 Tests.

Shanthakumaran Sreesanth made his ODI debut in 2005 and played 53 games for India. The 2011 World Cup final turned out to be his last ODI for India. He caught in a spot-fixing scandal in 2013 and was banned for life. Though the ban was lifted by Supreme Court in March 2019, he eventually lost his hunger to make a comeback and also the age was not on his side. The 36-year-old has ventured into professional acting, reality TV, and dancing.