India vs Sri Lanka 2011 World Cup Final Scorecard: Shocking Turning Point in History

One of the most famous scorecards in cricket history is the 2011 Cricket World Cup Final. ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 Final (India vs. Sri Lanka) Date: April 2, 2011, Venue: Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai This final between two of the strongest teams in world cricket was played. This match was high on pressure as since 1983 India never won a World Cup and against Sri Lank which conquered the world back in 1996, they were eyeing there any blanket.

This match was more than just a game of cricket for Indian cricket fans. It was the end of years filled with hope, anticipation and dreams. Adding to this specialness were legends such as Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh & Virender Sehwag and Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene taking the field for that final. 2011 World Cup final scorecard: A contest that was defined by pressure, skill, nerve and some moments of magic which get a proper fond farewell to this day.

Road to the 2011 World Cup Final

India had come into the tournament as one of the title contenders. The team, led by MS Dhoni, had a robust batting order and bowlers who could perform under pressure. India faced formidable opponents and created some iconic moments in the tournament, including their quarter-final win over Australia and semi-final victory against Pakistan.

Sri Lanka had a good tournament as well. The team started under the captaincy of Kumar Sangakkara and continued to play consistently throughout the tournament. The batting line up had players that could win you matches off their own batting prowess, real guns. In the semi-final they convincingly beat New Zealand to win a place in the final against India.

Meanwhile, the cricket lovers all around the globe were eagerly waiting for this historic contest between two Asian giants ahead of their most crucial match in the tournament.

Match Information

Details	Information
Match	ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 Final
Date	April 2, 2011
Venue	Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
Teams	India vs Sri Lanka
Toss	Sri Lanka won and batted first
Result	India won by 6 wickets
Player of the Match	MS Dhoni

The atmosphere at Wankhede Stadium was electric. Thousands of fans packed the stadium, while millions watched around the world. Every ball carried enormous significance because a World Cup title was at stake.

Sri Lanka’s Innings: Building a Competitive Total

Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara, after winning the toss, opted to bat first. That was a logical choice as batting first in a World Cup final allows a team to put scoreboard pressure on the opponent.

India began well with the ball. Zaheer Khan started the proceedings with a fantastic opening spell which really did not allow Sri Lanka to score. Forcing the Sri Lankan batsmen into errors, he bowled and built pressure with accuracy and discipline.

This early breakthrough was achieved when Upul Tharanga fell cheaply. India kept up the pressure with tight bowling and tremendous fielding. At times, Tillakaratne Dilshan made golden starts but he could not convert them into big innings.

But the Sri Lanka middle order that has been solid as a pillar ensured there were no hiccups in the innings. Sangakkara clanged about sensibly on his way to a dismissal, but the highlight of the innings was Mahela Jayawardene.

Mahela Jayawardene’s Brilliant Century

When it comes to the scorecard of the 2011 World Cup final, there’s just no avoiding Mahela Jayawardene. From just 88 deliveries, his unbeaten 103 was one of the greatest centuries ever made in a World Cup final.

A model of Timing, Placement and Composure was Jayawardene’s batting. Contentedly unlike power-hitters with vicious bats, he wielded graceful strokes combined prudently with effective shot selection to torment the Indian bowling.

He produced cover drives, glances, and intelligent running between delights in his innings. What this did was he accelerated perfectly in the last few overs, resulting in Sri Lanka reaching a par score.

One of the finest knocks by a batsman in a World Cup final, his century still stands.

Sri Lanka Full Batting Scorecard

Batsman	Runs	Balls
Upul Tharanga	2	20
Tillakaratne Dilshan	33	49
Kumar Sangakkara	48	67
Mahela Jayawardene	103*	88
Thilan Samaraweera	21	34
Chamara Kapugedera	1	5
Nuwan Kulasekara	32	30
Thisara Perera	22*	9

Total: 274/6 in 50 overs

At the innings break, Sri Lanka appeared to have gained a slight advantage. A target of 275 in a World Cup final was challenging, particularly against a quality bowling attack.

India’s Chase Begins Poorly

The Indian innings commenced in the worst possible manner. India was soon in trouble, with Virender Sehwag falling for a duck on only the second ball of the innings when he was trapped lbw by Lasith Malinga.

The crowd was shocked because Sehwag was considered the player who would give them explosive starts. The pressure mounted in the 200th match of his career when Sachin Tendulkar, playing his last World Cup, scored just 18.

At 31/2, India were in a spot of bother. Sri Lankan players began to sense the momentum, while millions of Indian fans started to get a little frail!

With the matches on a knife edge, one more wicket could have shifted the match heavily into Sri Lanka’s favour.

Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir Rebuild

Young Virat Kohli came to bat alongside Gautam Gambhir and held one end firmly with great responsibility. Both batsmen concentrated on rekindling the innings rather than just hitting wildly,

Their partnership had provided stability and low pressure. While Gambhir slowly found his stride, Kohli expertly rotated the strike.

Together added valuable 83 runs and pushed back momentum towards India. Kohli, however, fell for 35 later in the innings but by that time he had banked significant runs for the chase.

Gautam Gambhir’s Heroic 97

It is one of the most important innings in Indian cricket history which gets reminded whenever people search, Gautam Gambhir scored in 2011 World Cup Final.

It was that which mattered — Gambhir, who made 97 off 122 balls and played the anchor. Both soaked up pressure, faced quality bowling and tightened the noose over India.

It was not an innings of flamboyant strokes from him. It was rather constructing a fortress on resolve, discipline and smart shot selection. Always finding gaps and rotating the strike while keeping up with the required run rate.

Despite missing out on a century by just three runs, many cricket experts rank his innings as the bedrock of India’s title-winning win.

MS Dhoni’s Masterstroke

One of the most important decisions made during that match was when MS Dhoni sent himself above Yuvraj Singh in the batting order.

Yuvraj has performed tremendously with bat and ball for India in the series, so many observers were surprised by the decision. Dhoni thought his experience against Sri Lanka’s bowlers would serve him well.

This was a masterstroke maneuver.

Dhoni was as calm as a cucumber from the moment he stepped in. He took stock of the situation and then maybe changed the gears slowly. He really understood what the chase was all about.

He forged an important partnership with Gambhir that kept India ahead of the required rate.

MS Dhoni’s Match-Winning 91 Not Out

The equation of “MS Dhoni 91 not out scorecard 2011 World Cup final” continues to remain one of the most searched questions in cricket history thanks to the importance of his innings over time.

Dhoni’s 91 not out came from just 79 balls and was one of the greatest knocks ever played by a captain in an ODI Final.

You can still remember his innings built on deft boundaries, calculated differentiation in the angles of attack and better temperament. He never allowed Sri Lanka back in the match.

Above all else, he obeyed the bus until the end and ended the chase in style.

The Winning Six

With India only needing a matter of runs to complete victory, Nuwan Kulasekara bowled Dhoni a length ball.

Dhoni settled and launched it high over long-on for a huge six.

The moment instantly became legendary.

Dhoni holding his pose watching the ball sail into the crowd is one of the most iconic images in cricket history. Ravi Shastri : Dhoni Finishes Off In Style, The whole cricketing world remembers those words from commentator Ravi Shastri as captain MS.

India Full Batting Scorecard

Batsman	Runs	Balls
Virender Sehwag	0	2
Sachin Tendulkar	18	14
Gautam Gambhir	97	122
Virat Kohli	35	49
MS Dhoni	91*	79
Yuvraj Singh	21*	24

Total: 277/4 in 48.2 overs

India successfully chased 275 and won by 6 wickets.

Key Turning Points of the Match

In terms of decisive moments influencing the 2011 World Cup Final there have been a great many to recall. India ultimately came out victorious by six wickets, as seen on the final scorecard, but it was a contest that saw both sides having the upperhand at times. Credit must go to phenomenal bowling, a great hundred, vital partnerships, and a bold tactical move by MS Dhoni. These major momentum changes made this game one of cricket’s greatest World Cup finals.

Zaheer Khan’s Opening Spell

The first major turning point occurred during Zaheer Khan’s outstanding opening spell. In the first few overs, Zaheer bowled with exceptional accuracy and discipline to put Sri Lanka under great pressure. He opened the bowling with three maiden overs and he gave virtually no room for putative batsmanship. His economy brought about errors that stunted Sri Lanka’s intended charge.

Zaheer created pressure during the first stage of the innings from one end and set up a solid showing from what turned out to be India’s best bowling performance.

Jayawardene’s Century

Just when it seemed that India had Sri Lanka on the ropes, Mahela Jayawardene came up with a brilliant innings. He turned the match completely around with his unbeaten 103 off 88 balls. Jayawardene picked up the pace without playing any risky shots, through some elegant stroke play and brilliant placement. He kept finding gaps and made productive partnerships with the lower middle order.

His century propelled Sri Lanka to a decent total of 274/6 and made them firm favourites to win the World Cup. Sri Lanka would have come much lesser had it not been for his brilliant innings.

Kohli-Gambhir Partnership

India began its chase poorly with wickets of the openers Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar falling at regular intervals. Sri Lanka seemed to be on top at that time. But Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir had a sensible and mature partnership. Instead of panicking, they decided to get things back on track through sensible cricket. They rotated the strike smartly, got rid of loose balloons and gradually eased the pressure. The two held the innings together and India were on course for the chase with their target. This pair kept Sri Lanka at bay in this juncture of the match and drew India back into it.

Also read this: Jay Shah Wife Name | Indian Head Coach 2026 | CSK Ka Malik Kaun Hai

Dhoni’s Promotion

MS Dhoni promotion ahead of Yuvraj Singh would be one of the most courageous moves in World Cup final history. There was a general expectation that Yuvraj, who had been India’s top performer in the tournament throughout, would come in next to bat. Instead, it was Dhoni who walked out to the crease after Kohli’s dismissal.

Fans and pundits alike were taken aback by the move, but it turned out to be a tactical masterstroke. Facing Murali in clutch situations, Dhoni felt he would deal better with Sri Lanka’s spinners. His composed knock immediately steadied the Indian innings and took the wind out of Sri Lankan sails.

Dhoni-Gambhir Partnership

The partnership between MS Dhoni and Gautam Gambhir was probably the biggest turning point in the match. They put on 109 runs together and slowly started creeping India closer to the target. Gambhir had taken the role of anchor and Dhoni himself started to up the scoring rate. Sri Lankan vice-captain Wanindu Hasaranga expressed frustration when explaining how well the Indian pair ran between wickets, their understanding of each other’s running and ability to rotate strike.

With each passing moment, India’s confidence soared and Sri Lanka looked to be desperately trying in vain to take wickets. The match was well in India`s hands by the time Gambhir got out for 97. This association eventually provided the platform for India’s watershed World Cup victory.

Records Created During the Final

• India became the first host nation to win a World Cup final at home.
• MS Dhoni became the first captain to score a match-winning fifty in a successful World Cup final chase.
• Mahela Jayawardene scored one of the highest individual scores in a World Cup final.
• India recorded one of the highest successful run chases in World Cup final history.
• Sachin Tendulkar fulfilled his dream of winning a World Cup.

Legacy of the 2011 World Cup Final

The full scorecard still garners millions of searches every year, even several years after the conclusion of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 final. The match contained everything you could ask for: pressure, drama, individual brilliance, tactical decisions and a great end of the match.

It signalled a new dawn for Indian cricket. For supporters, it’s still one of the happiest sporting memories ever.

The scorecard of the 2011 World Cup final is a lot more than just numbers — it narrates how India snapped a 28-year drought and sculpted one of the most iconic moments in cricketing history.

FAQs