'I crashed': Gautam Gambhir reveals never before heard tale about 2011 World Cup final

Whenever the sweet memories of the historic World Cup win in 2011 come to the fore, the feeling of nostalgia takes over. From Sachin Tendulkar firing on all cylinders in his last World Cup to Yuvraj Singh doing the all-round job, the World Cup is filled with many majestic tales which was summed up perfectly by the iconic six of Mahendra Singh Dhoni. The team was filled with match winners, and players with never say die attitude. Gautam Gambhir being one of them showcased his prudence when the team needed him the most, in the final against Sri Lanka.

3 things you need to know

• India won the ICC ODI World Cup 2011
• India defeated Sri Lanka in the final by 6 wickets
• MS Dhoni was adjudged man of the match in the final for his unbeaten innings of 91 runs

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Revisiting the historic 2011 World Cup win

Chasing 275 in the ICC ODI World Cup Final 2011, India were reeling at 31/2 and a partnership was required. Gambhir and Virat Kohli threw the counter-attacking punch and added a crucial 83 runs. After Kohli went, Dhoni and Gambhir took the command and batted through in the middle overs. Gambhir, who anchored the innings was inching closer to his 100 but in what is defined as a needless attempt to strike the ball towards distance he held out at 97. The innings is apparently the most vital 97 in the history of Indian cricket as it not only clawed the team out of trouble but also took it to a stage where victory was a few strides away. 

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Gautam Gambhir revealed what happened after India won the World Cup 

Gautam Gambhir's contribution has been invaluable and fans still thank him for bringing the joy to their lives by playing that knock. Recently in an interview with Rev Sportz, Gambhir revealed what happened after India won the World Cup, and what he did after the match. Here's what he said.

 I don’t think people realise that I was on the ground for literally 92 overs of the final. No one else among all the players was out there for that long. First we fielded, and then when we batted, I was out there batting for 41-42 overs of our innings. The truth is, after I got out and went back to the change room, I was exhausted. Drained completely. So while I was massively happy and emotionally invested in the celebrations, physically I was exhausted. We had a team celebration late in the night, and while I went there for a few minutes, I just came to my room and crashed. I did nothing else because I was fatigued. However, when I went home the next day, it was a very proud moment with family. Seeing my mother so happy was very pleasing. It was a very touching celebration at home, and I felt good seeing the smiles on people’s faces.