MS Dhoni blocked Rohit Sharma's selection in 2011 World Cup, Ex-selector drops bombshell

The Indian Men's cricket team that lifted the ICC Cricket World Cup in 2011 will always be remembered for their contributions, especially the then-captain MS Dhoni, who hit a six to win the match in the final. The team was full of superstars including the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, and Gautam Gambhir. There were some youngsters too, such as Virat Kohli and Ravichandran Ashwin. 

The current Indian skipper Rohit Sharma, who was a regular member of the side up until the marquee ICC event, was dropped in a surprising exclusion. Rohit himself has said on several occasions that he was expecting to be selected for the World Cup. Rohit was part of the team that won the 2007 T20 World Cup under the captaincy of Dhoni. In the latest revelation, a former member of the selection panel said that MS Dhoni blocked Rohit's entry to the World Cup team. 

3 things you need to know

• India won the 2011 World Cup under MS Dhoni's captaincy
• India defeated Sri Lanka in the final held at Wankhede Stadium
• Rohit Sharma missed out on the World Cup because of Dhoni

Also Read: 'Ye Pagalpanti Nahi Karte Hum': Rohit Sharma Stinging Response To Asia Cup Question- WATCH

Ex-selector blames Dhoni for Rohit's non-selection in 2011 World Cup 

Raja Venkat, a former Bengal cricketer who served on the selection panel for the men's national team from 2008 to 2012, revealed a surprising detail in an interview with RevSportz. According to Venkat, Rohit Sharma's omission from the 2011 World Cup squad was a result of a decision influenced by the captain at the time, MS Dhoni.

Venkat disclosed that the selection committee, led by Krishnamachari Srikkanth, had initially unanimously chosen Rohit Sharma, who had been a consistent presence in the ODI team for the previous three years. However, Dhoni overruled this choice in favor of including Piyush Chawla in the squad.

"When we sat to select the team, Rohit was very much in the scheme of things. Yashpal Sharma and I were in South Africa at that time because India was touring South Africa, and the other three selectors – Srikkanth, [Surendra] Bhave and [Narendra] Hirwani – were in Chennai. So, when we were selecting the team, numbers 1-14, every name was accepted by the panel. No. 15, we suggested the name of Rohit Sharma. Gary Kirsten also felt it was a perfect selection. But the captain wanted Piyush Chawla. So immediately, Kirsten somersaulted. He said: ‘I think that’s a better choice.’ So, that is how Rohit Sharma got left out," Venkat said.

Also Read: 'He Is Not Ready': Rohit Sharma's Startling Revelation About Indian Cricketer's Position

India won the 2011 World Cup final after defeating Sri Lanka by 6 wickets. Dhoni played the captain's knock as he remained unbeaten at 91 off 79 balls. Rohit Sharma came back into the ODI side for the 2013 Champions Trophy that India won in England. Rohit has since played two World Cups of India - 2015 and 2019. He is all set to lead India in the upcoming 2023 World Cup. 

Image: AP