ICC World Cup 2011 Final

The 2011 World Cup final was played between India and Sri Lanka at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on 2 April 2011. India won by 6 wickets, chasing 275 with 10 balls to spare. MS Dhoni's unbeaten 91 and his winning six are among the most iconic moments in cricket history. It ended a 28-year wait for India's second World Cup crown and made the hosts the first team ever to win the tournament on home soil.

Match Summary

Detail	Info
Date	2 April 2011
Venue	Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
Toss	Sri Lanka won, chose to bat
Sri Lanka	274/6 (50 overs)
India	277/4 (48.2 overs)
Result	India won by 6 wickets
Man of the match	MS Dhoni

Road to the Final

Both teams had earned their place in the final through contrasting but convincing campaigns. India, playing at home with the weight of a billion expectations, had topped their group before knocking out the defending champions Australia in the quarter-final at Ahmedabad — a tense chase built around Yuvraj Singh's all-round brilliance and Suresh Raina's calm finishing. The semi-final against Pakistan at Mohali was one of the most-watched sporting events in history, with India defending 260 to win by 29 runs and spark nationwide celebrations a full three days before the final.

Sri Lanka's path was quieter but no less impressive. They crushed England by 10 wickets in the quarter-final at Colombo, with Tillakaratne Dilshan and Upul Tharanga both scoring unbeaten hundreds in a record opening stand. In the semi-final, also at Colombo, they overcame New Zealand by 5 wickets, with Kumar Sangakkara's calm leadership guiding a tricky chase. The 1996 champions were appearing in their second consecutive final, having lost to Australia in 2007, and were desperate to go one better.

Sri Lanka Innings: 274/6

Batsman	Runs	Balls
Mahela Jayawardene	103*	88
Kumar Sangakkara (c)	48	67
Tillakaratne Dilshan	33	49

Mahela Jayawardene's unbeaten hundred was a masterclass, but it would end in a losing cause — one of the great final hundreds. Coming in with Sri Lanka in early trouble, Jayawardene paced his innings beautifully, reaching his century with a flurry of boundaries in the closing overs. Sri Lanka plundered 63 runs from their last six overs, with Thisara Perera's late cameo adding crucial impetus, and 274 for 6 looked a formidable total in a World Cup final — no team had ever chased more to win the tournament decider.

Bowler	Figures
Zaheer Khan	2/60
Yuvraj Singh	2/49

Zaheer Khan, India's spearhead throughout the tournament, struck twice, while Yuvraj Singh's left-arm spin again proved golden — he would finish as the Player of the Tournament. But the feeling at the innings break was that Sri Lanka had the edge.

India Innings: 277/4

Batsman	Runs	Balls
Gautam Gambhir	97	122
MS Dhoni (c)	91*	79
Virat Kohli	35	49

India's chase began in nightmare fashion. Virender Sehwag was trapped lbw by Lasith Malinga off just the second ball of the innings, and when Sachin Tendulkar — playing his sixth and almost certainly last World Cup — fell for 18, also to Malinga, the Wankhede fell silent at 31 for 2. The dream was wobbling.

What followed was one of the great rebuilding acts in final history. Gautam Gambhir, whose 97 is often overshadowed by what came after, played the innings that made the chase possible. His 122-ball knock mixed watchful defence with sudden, violent strokeplay, and his 83-run stand with the young Virat Kohli (35 off 49) steadied the ship.

Then came the masterstroke. With India needing 161 from 155 balls and the match in the balance, MS Dhoni promoted himself above the in-form Yuvraj Singh — a staggering call, given Yuvraj had been India's player of the tournament. Dhoni's logic was simple: two right-handers at the crease would deny Muttiah Muralitharan, playing his final international match, the rough outside the left-hander's off stump. It was a gamble that defined his captaincy.

Dhoni played the innings of his life — 91 not out from 79 balls, all wrists and ice-cold nerve. His 109-run partnership with Gambhir broke Sri Lanka's spirit, and though Gambhir fell three short of a hundred, bowled by Thisara Perera attempting the glory shot, Dhoni stayed to finish the job.

Key Moments That Decided the Final

The final turned on a handful of moments that have been replayed ever since. The toss itself was farcical — match referee Jeff Crowe could not hear Kumar Sangakkara's call over the deafening Wankhede crowd, and the coin had to be tossed twice, an almost unheard-of occurrence in international cricket.

Dhoni's self-promotion above Yuvraj was the tactical call of the tournament. Had it failed, with India's form player of the World Cup padded up and watching, it would have been remembered as reckless. Instead it became the defining image of Dhoni's leadership — backing his own judgment absolutely when it mattered most.

Gambhir's dismissal for 97, bowled trying to reach his hundred with a boundary when singles would have done, remains one of the great what-ifs. Had he stayed, the chase would have been a procession. As it was, his wicket briefly reopened the door for Sri Lanka before Dhoni slammed it shut.

The Winning Moment

With 4 needed off 11 balls, Dhoni launched Nuwan Kulasekara over long-on. Ravi Shastri's commentary — “Dhoni finishes off in style!” — is etched in memory. The Wankhede erupted, and India ended a 28-year wait for their second World Cup. Dhoni's bat twirl as the ball sailed into the Mumbai night has become one of cricket's most reproduced images.

Significance and Legacy

The 2011 final made MS Dhoni the only captain to win all three ICC white-ball trophies, adding the 50-over World Cup to his 2007 T20 World Cup and 2013 Champions Trophy triumphs. For Sachin Tendulkar, playing his sixth World Cup, it was the crowning moment of a legendary career — his teammates lifted him onto their shoulders for a lap of honour, with Virat Kohli's famous words: “He has carried the burden of the nation for 21 years. It was time we carried him.”

The victory sparked the biggest celebrations in Indian cricket history, with millions flooding the streets. It also confirmed a shift in the sport's balance of power — the final was watched by an estimated global audience that dwarfed every previous cricket broadcast, and India's status as the game's financial and cultural centre was sealed beyond argument.

For Sri Lanka, it was heartbreak — a second consecutive final defeat. Jayawardene's hundred joined the list of great losing causes, alongside his team's dignified conduct in defeat earning widespread admiration.

Who won the 2011 World Cup final?

India beat Sri Lanka by 6 wickets in the final at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, chasing 275 with 10 balls to spare.

Who was man of the match in the 2011 final?

MS Dhoni, for his unbeaten 91 off 79 balls, including the winning six.

Who hit the winning six in the 2011 final?

MS Dhoni hit a six off Nuwan Kulasekara over long-on to win the match with 10 balls remaining.

Why did Dhoni promote himself ahead of Yuvraj in the final?

To keep two right-handers at the crease and deny Muttiah Muralitharan the rough outside the left-hander's off stump. Yuvraj was the tournament's form player, making it a huge gamble that paid off.

What happened at the toss in the 2011 final?

The toss had to be redone because the match referee could not hear Sangakkara's call over the crowd noise. Sri Lanka won the retaken toss and chose to bat.

How long had India waited for their second World Cup?

28 years — between the 1983 triumph under Kapil Dev and the 2011 victory under MS Dhoni.