2011 Cricket World Cup Final
Encyclopedia
The 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup Final was played between India and Sri Lanka at the Wankhede Stadium
in Mumbai
on 2 April 2011. This was the 10th ICC Cricket World Cup. India won the match by six wickets, its second World Cup victory, having previously won in 1983
. India became the third nation to have won the World Cup more than once, along with Australia and the West Indies. This was the first World Cup where both the finalists were Asian teams. This was the second time in World Cup history that a host nation won the World Cup Final and the first time to win on their home ground. Sri Lanka was a co-host when it won the 1996 Cup, but the final match was played in Lahore
, Pakistan
. In the stadium, the match was watched by 33,000 spectators and on TV, in India alone, the final was watched by 67.6 million viewers although another estimate put the figure at 135 million. The matches were also broadcast live on ESPN Star Sports' website and state-run Doordarshan
and DD1
, which reaches more than 90% of the country’s 1.21 billion population.
Both of India's knockout matches were high-pressure contests. Australia was a strong team and defending champion, and India had to give a very good performance to restrict Australia to 260 and then successfully chase down the target even as wickets fell regularly. Pakistan and India have historically been rivals, and there was immense public pressure on both teams. The match was attended by the Prime Ministers of both India and Pakistan. India batted first and ultimately defeated Pakistan by 29 runs.
Sri Lanka had clinically demolished England in the quarter final, defeating them by 10 wickets. Both the Sri Lankan openers, Tillakaratne Dilshan
and Upul Tharanga
made unbeaten centuries and put up a world-record stand for the first wicket in a World Cup. The New Zealand semi-final was more keenly contested, but was still won with relative ease by Sri Lanka. The matches showcased the effective unconventional bowling of pace spearhead Lasith Malinga
, restrictive fielding, and the batting prowess of the Sri Lankan top order.
The final generated huge interest. It was the first time both World Cup finalists were Asian teams. The President of Sri Lanka
Mahinda Rajapaksa
, a known cricket enthusiast, announced he would attend the match along with his sons. Following this, the Indian President Pratibha Patil
also announced her decision to attend the match.
, left-arm medium pacer
, had suffered a finger fracture while fielding in that match, and he was replaced by another pacer, Sreesanth. India was widely rated as having the strongest batting line-up in the tournament, and chose to back this strength throughout the campaign by playing seven batsmen and four bowlers. Due to Yuvraj Singh
performing well with both bat and ball in the tournament, India could afford to play with only four specialist bowlers. Yuvraj bowled his full quota of 10 overs in many matches, including the semi-final against Pakistan. Among the four bowling slots, Zaheer Khan
was the pace spearhead supported in most matches by Munaf Patel
, while Harbhajan Singh
was the regular off-spinner. The fourth slot was taken by different bowlers in different matches, including Sreesanth, Nehra, leg-spinner Piyush Chawla
, or off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin
. The captain had chosen Nehra over Ashwin in the match against Pakistan also. Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni
had then said he preferred having three seamers
(a synonym for a fast bowler) because it gave him more options. He already had proven spinners in Harbhajan and Yuvraj, and could call upon many other Indian players who can bowl part-time spin (including Sachin Tendulkar
, Virat Kohli
, Suresh Raina, and Virender Sehwag
).
Sri Lanka made four changes to their side from the semi-final. All-rounder
Angelo Mathews
had suffered a torn quadriceps and could not play. Sri Lanka knew the Indians' strength was batting, and thus they needed to take wickets to put them under pressure. This led to their choosing a full complement of bowlers. Spin bowler Ajantha Mendis
had performed well throughout the tournament, but he had a poor record against India in pre-World Cup clashes and was not chosen for the final. Spinner Rangana Herath
was also dropped. Off-spinner Suraj Randiv and batsman Chamara Kapugedera
were flown in from Sri Lanka to strengthen the side. Seamers Nuwan Kulasekara
and Thisara Perera, who had played matches in the earlier group stage, were drafted into the team. Legendary spinner Muttiah Muralitharan
was carrying minor injuries, but was retained. He had announced that he would retire from One Day International cricket after the World Cup, so this was his last match. The semi-final held at the Premadasa Stadium in Colombo
was his last ODI match on home soil, and there he had been carried around the stadium, perched on his teammates' shoulders, on a lap of honor after that match.
of Australia and Aleem Dar
of Pakistan, with Ian Gould
being the third (TV) umpire. All of these umpires are highly rated; Taufel has won 5 ICC Umpire of the Year awards, while Dar has won two. Taufel had never been able to officiate in a World Cup final because Australia had been qualifying for the finals in the last four editions. Jeff Crowe
was the match referee and Steve Davis
the reserve umpire.
called the toss. The toss came up as heads, but the match referee Jeff Crowe
and commentator Ravi Shastri
, who was hosting the toss, did not hear the call over the crowd. It was decided that there would be a re-toss. Sangakkara called heads as the coin was spun the second time. He won the re-toss and elected to bat. Replays of the toss indicated that Sangakkara called heads the first time, though Dhoni heard it as tails.
and committed fielding from Yuvraj Singh
, Suresh Raina, and Virat Kohli
inside the 30-yard circle. Zaheer began with three consecutive maidens and the wicket of Upul Tharanga
, conceding only six runs in his five-over spell. Sri Lankan opener Tillakaratne Dilshan
was bowled
by Harbhajan Singh
when a delivery carried on to the stumps after deflecting off his gloves. Captain Kumara Sangakkara came in after Tharanga's dismissal, and was building a solid foundation with Dilshan before the latter was dismissed. Mahela Jayawardene
came to the crease when Sri Lanka were 60/2 in the 17th over. Sangakkara and Mahela went about the task of consolidating the innings, but eventually Sangakkara was caught behind by Dhoni at 48. New batsman Thilan Samaraweera
was adjudged not out by the umpire when a ball hit his thigh pad off the bowling of Yuvraj Singh. The Indians decided to review the decision and he was ultimately given out. Chamara Kapugedera
, who was playing his first World Cup match, was caught off a deceptive slower ball by Zaheer Khan. Jayawardene, meanwhile, continued with his quality batting, ultimately scoring 103 not out
from 88 balls in a high-class batting display. Helped by the hard-hitting of Nuwan Kulasekara
and Thisara Perera, Sri Lanka scored 91 runs in the last 10 overs, including 63 in the batting powerplay (45-50 overs) to take the score to 274/6.
early by Lasith Malinga
, leaving them at 31 for two. Sehwag was trapped LBW
for a duck
on the second ball of the innings
. Tendulkar started with some good strokes, racing to 18 off 14 balls, but then edged a catch to wicketkeeper Sangakkara. Virat Kohli
and Gautam Gambhir
started the recovery with some fluent stroke play and quick running between wickets, taking India to 114 before Kohli was caught-and-bowled by Tillakaratne Dilshan
for 35. When he was on 30, Gambhir mistimed a shot off the bowling of Suraj Randiv, sending the ball high up in the air, but Nuwan Kulasekara could not hold on to a difficult chance at long off. Kohli and Gambhir put together an 83-run partnership before Kohli's dismissal. Dhoni came in after Kohli to bat at number five, usually the position of Yuvraj Singh
. Both Kohli and Dhoni are right-handed batsmen, while Gambhir and Yuvraj are left-handed. Along with other considerations, by coming ahead of Yuvraj, Dhoni ensured there would a right-left batting combination between him and Gambhir, which makes it difficult for the bowlers to get into a rhythm, and necessitates frequent fielding adjustments. Dhoni continued to play well alongside Gambhir, first concentrating on low-risk shots and hard running between the wickets, and later accelerating with a greater flow of boundaries
. Gambhir and Dhoni added 109 for the fourth wicket with Gambhir scoring 97. Gambhir tried to finish his century
with a boundary, but his heaving bat failed to connect with the ball, and he was bowled
by Thisara Perera. Following Gambhir's dismissal, 52 runs were required off 52 balls. Yuvraj Singh was the new batsman and together both took India to victory, and Dhoni sealed the match hitting a six off Nuwan Kulasekara. Dhoni finished on 91 not out from 79 deliveries. Like in many other day-night matches in the subcontinent, dew started to form on the outfield grass in the night, making the ball damp and difficult to grip especially in the later part of India's batting. However, this was a known factor and was taken into consideration by the Sri Lankan captain when he chose to bat first after winning the toss. By crossing the target of 274, India had set a record for the highest successful run-chase in a World Cup final.
At the end of the match, the batting strength of both the teams stood out. The three top run scorers of this tournament were from these finalists: Tillekaratne Dilshan (500 runs), Sachin Tendulkar (482), and Kumar Sangakkara (465). In the top 10 tournament scorers, there were 3 from Sri Lanka (Upul Tharanga (395) in addition to the previous two), and 4 from India (Gautam Gambhir (393), Virender Sehwag (380), and Yuvraj Singh (362) in addition to Sachin).
1st innings
Fall of wickets: 1-17 (Tharanga, 6.1 ov), 2-60 (Dilshan, 16.3 ov), 3-122 (Sangakkara, 27.5 ov), 4-179 (Samaraweera, 38.1 ov), 5-182 (Kapugedera, 39.5 ov), 6-248 (Kulasekara, 47.6 ov)
2nd innings
Fall of wickets: 1-0 (Sehwag, 0.2 ov), 2-31 (Tendulkar, 6.1 ov), 3-114 (Kohli, 21.4 ov), 4-223 (Gambhir, 41.2 ov)
said that the Indians batted very well, and "looks like you need to make something like 350 runs to put them under pressure." The Indian captain Dhoni said that he had added motivation to play well to justify some unexpected decisions he had made for this match, like playing Sreesanth instead of Ashwin, and promoting himself up the order above Yuvraj. Dhoni was named Man of the Match
for his powerful and match-winning batting display under pressure. Yuvraj Singh was named Man of the Series for good all-round performance with both bat and ball throughout the tournament.
After the presentation, an ecstatic Indian team first held the Cup amid showers of champagne and confetti. Many Indian players, including Harbhajan Singh, Sachin Tendulkar, and Yuvraj Singh, had tears their eyes. The team then carried iconic player Tendulkar on a victory lap around the stadium. Coach Gary Kirsten
was also carried around the ground later. The Indian players dedicated their victory to Tendulkar; Virat Kohli said, "he has carried the burden of the nation for 21 years. It is time we carried him on our shoulders." Gautam Gambhir
dedicated the victory to the victims of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, and to the soldiers guarding India's borders.
Celebrations went on through the night in the team hotel. The victory prompted several firework displays and celebrations throughout India. In Sri Lanka, however there were only a few firework displays.
, even though the World Cup was broadcast on several channels across the globe, considering the viewership of just one channel, it was watched by 67.6 million viewers in India with cable and satellite connections, this number does not include the state-run Doordarshan
and DD1
, which reaches more than 90% of the country’s 1.21 billion population and 31 million direct-to-home viewers. Another agency estimated that over 135 million people in India watched the final.
The Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa
hosted High Tea for the Sri Lankan players and spouses on the grounds of the Presidential residence, Temple Trees.
The Indian President Pratibha Patil
hosted High Tea for the Indian players and spouses on the grounds of the Raj Bhavan (Governor's House) in Mumbai.
There was no ticker tape parade for the team on an open bus (as was organized after the 2007 Twenty20 World Cup win) because of the hectic schedule, with the 2011 edition of the Indian Premier League
starting on 8 April.
sides in the long-term interest of the team. According to him, as he would be 37 by the time of the 2015 World Cup, could not be sure of his place in the side then and it would be better for a new captain to be groomed now, who would be at the peak of his career during that tournament. He stated he was willing to captain the team for the upcoming tours of England and possibly Australia if the selectors felt this would aid the transition to a new captaincy. A day after Sangakkara's announcement, Mahela Jayawardene resigned from the post of vice-captain, and Aravinda de Silva
from the post of Chairman of Selectors.
for the state of Maharashtra
, to which Sachin Tendulkar belongs, passed a unanimous resolution recommending that he be awarded the Bharat Ratna
. Last awarded in 2008, the Bharat Ratna is India's highest civilian award, awarded for the highest degrees of national service. Tendulkar is already a recipient of the second-highest Indian civilian decoration, Padma Vibhushan
, and the highest sports decoration, Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna
.
Wankhede Stadium
The Sheshrao Krushnarao Wankhede Stadium is a cricket stadium in the Indian city of Mumbai. This ground was built after disputes between the Cricket Club of India, which owns the Brabourne Stadium, and the Mumbai Cricket Association over the allocation of tickets for cricket matches...
in Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
on 2 April 2011. This was the 10th ICC Cricket World Cup. India won the match by six wickets, its second World Cup victory, having previously won in 1983
1983 Cricket World Cup
The 1983 ICC Cricket World Cup was the third edition of the ICC Cricket World Cup tournament. It was held from 9 June to 25 June 1983 in England and was won by India. Eight countries participated in the event. The preliminary matches were played in two groups of four teams each, and each...
. India became the third nation to have won the World Cup more than once, along with Australia and the West Indies. This was the first World Cup where both the finalists were Asian teams. This was the second time in World Cup history that a host nation won the World Cup Final and the first time to win on their home ground. Sri Lanka was a co-host when it won the 1996 Cup, but the final match was played in Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. In the stadium, the match was watched by 33,000 spectators and on TV, in India alone, the final was watched by 67.6 million viewers although another estimate put the figure at 135 million. The matches were also broadcast live on ESPN Star Sports' website and state-run Doordarshan
DoorDarshan
Doordarshan is an Indian public service broadcaster, a division of Prasar Bharati. It is one of the largest broadcasting organizations in India in terms of the infrastructure of studios and transmitters. Recently, it has also started Digital Terrestrial Transmitters. On September 15, 2009,...
and DD1
DD National
DD National or DD1 is Doordarshan's flagship channel and the most widely available terrestrial television channel in India.-The Early Years:...
, which reaches more than 90% of the country’s 1.21 billion population.
Finalists
Prior to this match, India and Sri Lanka had met each other six times in World Cup history with Sri Lanka ahead with four wins and two defeats. In One Day Internationals, India led Sri Lanka with 67 victories against 50 victories for Sri Lanka, while 11 matches had ended with no result.Road to the final
India defeated defending champions Australia in the quarter-finals and Pakistan in the semi-finals to reach the final, while Sri Lanka defeated England and then New Zealand to make it to the final.Both of India's knockout matches were high-pressure contests. Australia was a strong team and defending champion, and India had to give a very good performance to restrict Australia to 260 and then successfully chase down the target even as wickets fell regularly. Pakistan and India have historically been rivals, and there was immense public pressure on both teams. The match was attended by the Prime Ministers of both India and Pakistan. India batted first and ultimately defeated Pakistan by 29 runs.
Sri Lanka had clinically demolished England in the quarter final, defeating them by 10 wickets. Both the Sri Lankan openers, Tillakaratne Dilshan
Tillakaratne Dilshan
Tillakaratne Mudiyanselage Dilshan born October 14, 1976 in Kalutara, Sri Lanka is a Sri Lankan cricketer and captain of the Sri Lanka national cricket team since April 2011. He has been a member of the team since November 1999, and was also known as Tuwan Mohammad Dilshan prior to his conversion...
and Upul Tharanga
Upul Tharanga
Warushavithana Upul Tharanga , commonly known as Upul Tharanga, is a Sri Lankan cricketer. He is a left-handed opening batsman and wicketkeeper.-Early life:Upul Tharanga had his education at Dharmasoka College, Ambalangoda...
made unbeaten centuries and put up a world-record stand for the first wicket in a World Cup. The New Zealand semi-final was more keenly contested, but was still won with relative ease by Sri Lanka. The matches showcased the effective unconventional bowling of pace spearhead Lasith Malinga
Lasith Malinga
Separamadu Lasith Malinga is a Sri Lankan cricketer. He is a fast bowler with a rare round-arm action, sometimes referred to as a sling action, which leads to his nickname, "Slinga Malinga"...
, restrictive fielding, and the batting prowess of the Sri Lankan top order.
The final generated huge interest. It was the first time both World Cup finalists were Asian teams. The President of Sri Lanka
President of Sri Lanka
The President of Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is the elected head of state and the head of government. The President is a dominant political figure in Sri Lanka. The office was created in 1978 but has grown so powerful there have been calls to restrict or even eliminate its power...
Mahinda Rajapaksa
Mahinda Rajapaksa
Percy Mahendra "Mahinda" Rajapaksa ; ; born November 18, 1945) is the 6th and current President of Sri Lanka and Commander in Chief of the Sri Lankan Armed Forces. A lawyer by profession, Rajapaksa was first elected to the Parliament of Sri Lanka in 1970, and served as prime minister from April 6,...
, a known cricket enthusiast, announced he would attend the match along with his sons. Following this, the Indian President Pratibha Patil
Pratibha Patil
Pratibha Devisingh Patil is the 12th President of the Republic of India and first woman to hold the office. She was sworn in as President of India on 25 July 2007, succeeding Dr. A.P.J...
also announced her decision to attend the match.
Team composition
India largely retained the same team it had in the semi-final against Pakistan, with just one change. Ashish NehraAshish Nehra
Ashish Nehra is an Indian cricketer who has represented India at the international level since 1999.Nehra started playing first-class cricket for his hometown, Delhi, in the 1997/1998 season and made his Test debut against Sri Lanka at Colombo in 1999 and his ODI debut against Zimbabwe at Harare...
, left-arm medium pacer
Fast bowling
Fast bowling, sometimes known as pace bowling, is one of the two main approaches to bowling in the sport of cricket. The other is spin bowling...
, had suffered a finger fracture while fielding in that match, and he was replaced by another pacer, Sreesanth. India was widely rated as having the strongest batting line-up in the tournament, and chose to back this strength throughout the campaign by playing seven batsmen and four bowlers. Due to Yuvraj Singh
Yuvraj Singh
Yuvraj Singh Bhandal is an Indian cricketer, and the son of former Indian fast bowler and Punjabi movie star Yograj Singh. He has been a member of the Indian cricket team since 2000 and played his first Test match in 2003. He was the vice captain of the ODI team from late-2007 to late-2008...
performing well with both bat and ball in the tournament, India could afford to play with only four specialist bowlers. Yuvraj bowled his full quota of 10 overs in many matches, including the semi-final against Pakistan. Among the four bowling slots, Zaheer Khan
Zaheer Khan
Zaheer Khan is an Indian cricketer who has been a member of the Indian cricket team since 2000. A left arm fast bowler considered as the best of the Indian fast bowling attack, Zaheer is known for his ability to swing the ball both ways, and as a batsman also holds the record for the highest Test...
was the pace spearhead supported in most matches by Munaf Patel
Munaf Patel
Munaf Musa Patel Urdu:مناف موسی پٹیل is an Indian cricketer who has also played for the West Zone in the Duleep Trophy and Gujarat, Mumbai cricket team and Maharashtra cricket team....
, while Harbhajan Singh
Harbhajan Singh
Harbhajan Singh Plaha , commonly known as Harbhajan Singh, is an Indian cricketer. A specialist bowler, he has the second-highest number of Test wickets by an off spinner, behind Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan....
was the regular off-spinner. The fourth slot was taken by different bowlers in different matches, including Sreesanth, Nehra, leg-spinner Piyush Chawla
Piyush Chawla
Piyush Pramod Chawla is an Indian cricketer who has played for the India U-19 team and the Central Zone. His Hometown is Moradabad,. He is seen as a leg-spinning allrounder in domestic cricket, but has not fired as a batsman in the One Day International format...
, or off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin
Ravichandran Ashwin
Ravichandran Ashwin is an Indian national cricket team player, who plays for India and Tamil Nadu cricket team. He is a right-handed batsman and right arm off-break bowler. He is the only bowler of recent times apart from Ajantha Mendis of Sri Lanka to bowl the carrom ball. He played two matches...
. The captain had chosen Nehra over Ashwin in the match against Pakistan also. Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni
Mahendra Singh Dhoni
Mahendra Singh Dhoni is an Indian cricketer and the current captain of the Indian national cricket team. He made his One Day International debut in December 2004 against Bangladesh, and a year later played his first Test, this time against Sri Lanka.Under his captaincy, India won the 2007 ICC...
had then said he preferred having three seamers
Seam bowling
Seam bowling is a phrase used for a bowling technique in cricket whereby the ball is deliberately bowled on to its seam, to cause a random deviation. Practitioners are known as seam bowlers or seamers....
(a synonym for a fast bowler) because it gave him more options. He already had proven spinners in Harbhajan and Yuvraj, and could call upon many other Indian players who can bowl part-time spin (including Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar is an Indian cricketer widely regarded as one of the greatest batsmen in the history of cricket. He is the leading run-scorer and century maker in Test and one-day international cricket. He is the only male player to score a double century in the history of ODI cricket...
, Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli ,born 5 November 1988 in Delhi) is an Indian international cricketer. He is a middle order batsman, who can also open the batting. He can also bowl right arm medium pace. Kohli was the captain of the victorious Indian team at the 2008 U/19 Cricket World Cup held in Malaysia...
, Suresh Raina, and Virender Sehwag
Virender Sehwag
Virender Sehwag , affectionately known as Viru, the Nawab of Najafgarh, or the Zen master of modern cricket, is one of the leading batsmen in the Indian cricket team. Sehwag is an aggressive right-handed opening batsman and a part-time right-arm off-spin bowler...
).
Sri Lanka made four changes to their side from the semi-final. All-rounder
All-rounder
An all-rounder is a cricketer who regularly performs well at both batting and bowling. Although all bowlers must bat and quite a few batsmen do bowl occasionally, most players are skilled in only one of the two disciplines and are considered specialists...
Angelo Mathews
Angelo Mathews
Angelo Davis Mathews is a Sri Lankan cricketer. Like Chaminda Vaas He had his formal education in St. Joseph's College, Colombo. Born in Colombo, he captained the Sri Lankan cricket team team in the 2006 U-19 Cricket World Cup in Sri Lanka...
had suffered a torn quadriceps and could not play. Sri Lanka knew the Indians' strength was batting, and thus they needed to take wickets to put them under pressure. This led to their choosing a full complement of bowlers. Spin bowler Ajantha Mendis
Ajantha Mendis
Balapuwaduge Ajantha Winslo Mendis is a cricketer who plays for the Sri Lankan national cricket team.Mendis, although classified as slow-medium, bowls a mixture of deliveries, including googlies, off-breaks, top-spinners, flippers and leg-breaks, as well as the carrom ball, released with a flick...
had performed well throughout the tournament, but he had a poor record against India in pre-World Cup clashes and was not chosen for the final. Spinner Rangana Herath
Rangana Herath
Herath Mudiyanselage Rangana Keerthi Bandara Herath, also known as H. M. R. K. B. Herath or Rangana Herath or Jack is a Sri Lankan cricketer. He was educated at Mayurapada Central College, Narammala and Maliyadeva College. He has also played cricket for Kurunegala Youth Cricket Club and Moors...
was also dropped. Off-spinner Suraj Randiv and batsman Chamara Kapugedera
Chamara Kapugedera
Chamara Kantha Kapugedera is a Sri Lankan cricketer.Kapugedera made his first-class debut in a match for Sri Lanka A and in domestic cricket, he plays for Colombo Cricket Club....
were flown in from Sri Lanka to strengthen the side. Seamers Nuwan Kulasekara
Nuwan Kulasekara
Kulasekara Mudiyanselage Dinesh Nuwan Kulasekara is a Sri Lankan cricketer. He was educated at the Bandaranayake College-Gampaha. He is principally a fast-medium bowler....
and Thisara Perera, who had played matches in the earlier group stage, were drafted into the team. Legendary spinner Muttiah Muralitharan
Muttiah Muralitharan
Muttiah Muralitharan , often referred to as Murali, is a former Sri Lankan cricketer who was rated the greatest Test match bowler ever by Wisden Cricketers' Almanack in 2002...
was carrying minor injuries, but was retained. He had announced that he would retire from One Day International cricket after the World Cup, so this was his last match. The semi-final held at the Premadasa Stadium in Colombo
Colombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
was his last ODI match on home soil, and there he had been carried around the stadium, perched on his teammates' shoulders, on a lap of honor after that match.
Match officials
The on-field umpires were Simon TaufelSimon Taufel
Simon James Arthur Taufel, , is an Australian cricket umpire who is a member of the ICC Elite umpire panel...
of Australia and Aleem Dar
Aleem Dar
Aleem Sarwar Dar is a retired Pakistani first-class cricketer and a member of the ICC Elite umpire panel. He won three consecutive ICC Umpire of the Year awards 2009, 2010 and 2011, after being nominated twice in 2005 and 2006. Aleem Dar and Simon Taufel are the only umpires to have received the...
of Pakistan, with Ian Gould
Ian Gould
Ian James Gould is an ICC Elite Panel cricket umpire and a former English cricketer. He is also chairman of English football club Burnham FC.-Player:...
being the third (TV) umpire. All of these umpires are highly rated; Taufel has won 5 ICC Umpire of the Year awards, while Dar has won two. Taufel had never been able to officiate in a World Cup final because Australia had been qualifying for the finals in the last four editions. Jeff Crowe
Jeff Crowe
Jeffrey John Crowe is a former New Zealand cricketer. He is the son of Dave Crowe and elder brother of Martin Crowe. They are cousins of Oscar winning actor, Russell Crowe....
was the match referee and Steve Davis
Steve Davis
Steve Davis, OBE is an English professional snooker player. He has won more professional titles in the sport than any other player, including six World Championships during the 1980s, when he was the world number one for seven years and became the sport's first millionaire...
the reserve umpire.
Toss
A controversy developed when Kumar SangakkaraKumar Sangakkara
Kumar Sangakkara is a Sri Lankan, Sinhalese cricketer and the former captain of the Sri Lanka national cricket team. He is a left-handed top-order batsman...
called the toss. The toss came up as heads, but the match referee Jeff Crowe
Jeff Crowe
Jeffrey John Crowe is a former New Zealand cricketer. He is the son of Dave Crowe and elder brother of Martin Crowe. They are cousins of Oscar winning actor, Russell Crowe....
and commentator Ravi Shastri
Ravi Shastri
Ravishankar Jayadritha Shastri is a former Indian cricketer and captain. He was an all–rounder who batted right-handed and bowled left arm spin. His international career started when he was 18 years old and lasted for 12 years...
, who was hosting the toss, did not hear the call over the crowd. It was decided that there would be a re-toss. Sangakkara called heads as the coin was spun the second time. He won the re-toss and elected to bat. Replays of the toss indicated that Sangakkara called heads the first time, though Dhoni heard it as tails.
Sri Lankan innings
Sri Lanka started the innings slowly, constrained by good bowling from Zaheer KhanZaheer Khan
Zaheer Khan is an Indian cricketer who has been a member of the Indian cricket team since 2000. A left arm fast bowler considered as the best of the Indian fast bowling attack, Zaheer is known for his ability to swing the ball both ways, and as a batsman also holds the record for the highest Test...
and committed fielding from Yuvraj Singh
Yuvraj Singh
Yuvraj Singh Bhandal is an Indian cricketer, and the son of former Indian fast bowler and Punjabi movie star Yograj Singh. He has been a member of the Indian cricket team since 2000 and played his first Test match in 2003. He was the vice captain of the ODI team from late-2007 to late-2008...
, Suresh Raina, and Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli ,born 5 November 1988 in Delhi) is an Indian international cricketer. He is a middle order batsman, who can also open the batting. He can also bowl right arm medium pace. Kohli was the captain of the victorious Indian team at the 2008 U/19 Cricket World Cup held in Malaysia...
inside the 30-yard circle. Zaheer began with three consecutive maidens and the wicket of Upul Tharanga
Upul Tharanga
Warushavithana Upul Tharanga , commonly known as Upul Tharanga, is a Sri Lankan cricketer. He is a left-handed opening batsman and wicketkeeper.-Early life:Upul Tharanga had his education at Dharmasoka College, Ambalangoda...
, conceding only six runs in his five-over spell. Sri Lankan opener Tillakaratne Dilshan
Tillakaratne Dilshan
Tillakaratne Mudiyanselage Dilshan born October 14, 1976 in Kalutara, Sri Lanka is a Sri Lankan cricketer and captain of the Sri Lanka national cricket team since April 2011. He has been a member of the team since November 1999, and was also known as Tuwan Mohammad Dilshan prior to his conversion...
was bowled
Bowled
Bowled is a method of dismissing a batsman in the sport of cricket. This method of dismissal is covered by Law 30 of the Laws of cricket.A batsman is out bowled if his wicket is put down by a ball delivered by the bowler...
by Harbhajan Singh
Harbhajan Singh
Harbhajan Singh Plaha , commonly known as Harbhajan Singh, is an Indian cricketer. A specialist bowler, he has the second-highest number of Test wickets by an off spinner, behind Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan....
when a delivery carried on to the stumps after deflecting off his gloves. Captain Kumara Sangakkara came in after Tharanga's dismissal, and was building a solid foundation with Dilshan before the latter was dismissed. Mahela Jayawardene
Mahela Jayawardene
Denagamage Proboth Mahela de Silva Jayawardene , known as Mahela Jayawardene, is the former captain of the Sri Lankan cricket team. He is a specialist batsman who has a Test average of over 50, and an ODI average in the 30s...
came to the crease when Sri Lanka were 60/2 in the 17th over. Sangakkara and Mahela went about the task of consolidating the innings, but eventually Sangakkara was caught behind by Dhoni at 48. New batsman Thilan Samaraweera
Thilan Samaraweera
Thilan Thusara Samaraweera is a Sri Lankan cricketer, born September 22, 1976 in Colombo. Samaraweera plays international cricket for Sri Lanka and is in the side primarily for his solid right-handed batting but is also a capable Off spinner.-Personal life:...
was adjudged not out by the umpire when a ball hit his thigh pad off the bowling of Yuvraj Singh. The Indians decided to review the decision and he was ultimately given out. Chamara Kapugedera
Chamara Kapugedera
Chamara Kantha Kapugedera is a Sri Lankan cricketer.Kapugedera made his first-class debut in a match for Sri Lanka A and in domestic cricket, he plays for Colombo Cricket Club....
, who was playing his first World Cup match, was caught off a deceptive slower ball by Zaheer Khan. Jayawardene, meanwhile, continued with his quality batting, ultimately scoring 103 not out
Not out
In cricket, a batsman will be not out if he comes out to bat in an innings and has not been dismissed by the end of the innings. One may similarly describe a batsman as not out while the innings is still in progress...
from 88 balls in a high-class batting display. Helped by the hard-hitting of Nuwan Kulasekara
Nuwan Kulasekara
Kulasekara Mudiyanselage Dinesh Nuwan Kulasekara is a Sri Lankan cricketer. He was educated at the Bandaranayake College-Gampaha. He is principally a fast-medium bowler....
and Thisara Perera, Sri Lanka scored 91 runs in the last 10 overs, including 63 in the batting powerplay (45-50 overs) to take the score to 274/6.
Indian innings
India had a shaky start, with Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar both dismissedDismissal (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, a dismissal occurs when the batsman is out . Colloquially, the fielding team is also said to have snared, bagged or captured a wicket. At this point a batsman must discontinue batting and leave the field permanently for the innings...
early by Lasith Malinga
Lasith Malinga
Separamadu Lasith Malinga is a Sri Lankan cricketer. He is a fast bowler with a rare round-arm action, sometimes referred to as a sling action, which leads to his nickname, "Slinga Malinga"...
, leaving them at 31 for two. Sehwag was trapped LBW
Leg before wicket
In the sport of cricket, leg before wicket is one of the ways in which a batsman can be dismissed. An umpire will rule a batsman out LBW under a series of circumstances which primarily include the ball striking the batsman's body when it would otherwise have continued on to hit the batsman's...
for a duck
Duck (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, a duck refers to a batsman's dismissal for a score of zero.-Origin of the term:The term is a shortening of the term "duck's egg", the latter being used long before Test cricket began...
on the second ball of the innings
Innings
An inning, or innings, is a fixed-length segment of a game in any of a variety of sports – most notably cricket and baseball during which one team attempts to score while the other team attempts to prevent the first from scoring. In cricket, the term innings is both singular and plural and is...
. Tendulkar started with some good strokes, racing to 18 off 14 balls, but then edged a catch to wicketkeeper Sangakkara. Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli ,born 5 November 1988 in Delhi) is an Indian international cricketer. He is a middle order batsman, who can also open the batting. He can also bowl right arm medium pace. Kohli was the captain of the victorious Indian team at the 2008 U/19 Cricket World Cup held in Malaysia...
and Gautam Gambhir
Gautam Gambhir
Gautam Gambhir is an Indian cricketer, a batsman. He has been a member of the Indian national cricket team since 2003 and 2004...
started the recovery with some fluent stroke play and quick running between wickets, taking India to 114 before Kohli was caught-and-bowled by Tillakaratne Dilshan
Tillakaratne Dilshan
Tillakaratne Mudiyanselage Dilshan born October 14, 1976 in Kalutara, Sri Lanka is a Sri Lankan cricketer and captain of the Sri Lanka national cricket team since April 2011. He has been a member of the team since November 1999, and was also known as Tuwan Mohammad Dilshan prior to his conversion...
for 35. When he was on 30, Gambhir mistimed a shot off the bowling of Suraj Randiv, sending the ball high up in the air, but Nuwan Kulasekara could not hold on to a difficult chance at long off. Kohli and Gambhir put together an 83-run partnership before Kohli's dismissal. Dhoni came in after Kohli to bat at number five, usually the position of Yuvraj Singh
Yuvraj Singh
Yuvraj Singh Bhandal is an Indian cricketer, and the son of former Indian fast bowler and Punjabi movie star Yograj Singh. He has been a member of the Indian cricket team since 2000 and played his first Test match in 2003. He was the vice captain of the ODI team from late-2007 to late-2008...
. Both Kohli and Dhoni are right-handed batsmen, while Gambhir and Yuvraj are left-handed. Along with other considerations, by coming ahead of Yuvraj, Dhoni ensured there would a right-left batting combination between him and Gambhir, which makes it difficult for the bowlers to get into a rhythm, and necessitates frequent fielding adjustments. Dhoni continued to play well alongside Gambhir, first concentrating on low-risk shots and hard running between the wickets, and later accelerating with a greater flow of boundaries
Boundary (cricket)
Boundary has two distinct meanings in the sport of cricket:# the edge or boundary of the playing field, and# a manner of scoring runs.-Edge of the field:...
. Gambhir and Dhoni added 109 for the fourth wicket with Gambhir scoring 97. Gambhir tried to finish his century
Century (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, a batsman reaches his century when he scores 100 or more runs in a single innings. The term is also included in "century partnership" which occurs when two batsmen add 100 runs to the team total when they are batting together. A century is regarded as a landmark score for...
with a boundary, but his heaving bat failed to connect with the ball, and he was bowled
Bowled
Bowled is a method of dismissing a batsman in the sport of cricket. This method of dismissal is covered by Law 30 of the Laws of cricket.A batsman is out bowled if his wicket is put down by a ball delivered by the bowler...
by Thisara Perera. Following Gambhir's dismissal, 52 runs were required off 52 balls. Yuvraj Singh was the new batsman and together both took India to victory, and Dhoni sealed the match hitting a six off Nuwan Kulasekara. Dhoni finished on 91 not out from 79 deliveries. Like in many other day-night matches in the subcontinent, dew started to form on the outfield grass in the night, making the ball damp and difficult to grip especially in the later part of India's batting. However, this was a known factor and was taken into consideration by the Sri Lankan captain when he chose to bat first after winning the toss. By crossing the target of 274, India had set a record for the highest successful run-chase in a World Cup final.
At the end of the match, the batting strength of both the teams stood out. The three top run scorers of this tournament were from these finalists: Tillekaratne Dilshan (500 runs), Sachin Tendulkar (482), and Kumar Sangakkara (465). In the top 10 tournament scorers, there were 3 from Sri Lanka (Upul Tharanga (395) in addition to the previous two), and 4 from India (Gautam Gambhir (393), Virender Sehwag (380), and Yuvraj Singh (362) in addition to Sachin).
1st innings
Fall of wickets: 1-17 (Tharanga, 6.1 ov), 2-60 (Dilshan, 16.3 ov), 3-122 (Sangakkara, 27.5 ov), 4-179 (Samaraweera, 38.1 ov), 5-182 (Kapugedera, 39.5 ov), 6-248 (Kulasekara, 47.6 ov)
2nd innings
Fall of wickets: 1-0 (Sehwag, 0.2 ov), 2-31 (Tendulkar, 6.1 ov), 3-114 (Kohli, 21.4 ov), 4-223 (Gambhir, 41.2 ov)
Post-match ceremony and celebrations
In the post-match presentation, the Sri Lankan captain Kumar SangakkaraKumar Sangakkara
Kumar Sangakkara is a Sri Lankan, Sinhalese cricketer and the former captain of the Sri Lanka national cricket team. He is a left-handed top-order batsman...
said that the Indians batted very well, and "looks like you need to make something like 350 runs to put them under pressure." The Indian captain Dhoni said that he had added motivation to play well to justify some unexpected decisions he had made for this match, like playing Sreesanth instead of Ashwin, and promoting himself up the order above Yuvraj. Dhoni was named Man of the Match
Man of the match
In sport, a Man of the Match or Player of the Game or Man of the Series award is given to the outstanding player, almost always the one who makes the most impact, in a particular match or series. The term was originally used more often in cricket before being adopted by other sports. This can be a...
for his powerful and match-winning batting display under pressure. Yuvraj Singh was named Man of the Series for good all-round performance with both bat and ball throughout the tournament.
After the presentation, an ecstatic Indian team first held the Cup amid showers of champagne and confetti. Many Indian players, including Harbhajan Singh, Sachin Tendulkar, and Yuvraj Singh, had tears their eyes. The team then carried iconic player Tendulkar on a victory lap around the stadium. Coach Gary Kirsten
Gary Kirsten
Gary Kirsten is a former South African cricketer, and the World Cup winning coach of the Indian cricket team. He played 101 Test matches and 185 One-day internationals for South Africa between 1993 and 2004, mainly as an opening batsman...
was also carried around the ground later. The Indian players dedicated their victory to Tendulkar; Virat Kohli said, "he has carried the burden of the nation for 21 years. It is time we carried him on our shoulders." Gautam Gambhir
Gautam Gambhir
Gautam Gambhir is an Indian cricketer, a batsman. He has been a member of the Indian national cricket team since 2003 and 2004...
dedicated the victory to the victims of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, and to the soldiers guarding India's borders.
Celebrations went on through the night in the team hotel. The victory prompted several firework displays and celebrations throughout India. In Sri Lanka, however there were only a few firework displays.
The broadcast
As per rating agency aMapAudience Measurement and Analytics Ltd. (Amap)
Audience Measurement & Analytics Limited is the only overnight TV Audience Measurement System that provides data on Television in India on multiple dimensions like demographics, ownership, viewership etc...
, even though the World Cup was broadcast on several channels across the globe, considering the viewership of just one channel, it was watched by 67.6 million viewers in India with cable and satellite connections, this number does not include the state-run Doordarshan
DoorDarshan
Doordarshan is an Indian public service broadcaster, a division of Prasar Bharati. It is one of the largest broadcasting organizations in India in terms of the infrastructure of studios and transmitters. Recently, it has also started Digital Terrestrial Transmitters. On September 15, 2009,...
and DD1
DD National
DD National or DD1 is Doordarshan's flagship channel and the most widely available terrestrial television channel in India.-The Early Years:...
, which reaches more than 90% of the country’s 1.21 billion population and 31 million direct-to-home viewers. Another agency estimated that over 135 million people in India watched the final.
Reception in Sri Lanka
Though Sri Lankan spectators were initially disappointed, they eventually rallied behind their team and welcomed them at the airport with garlands, cheers, and celebration. Sri Lanka's excellent performance through the world cup was appreciated, and it was recognized that reaching the final was a significant achievement in itself. Opening batsman Tillekaratne Dilshan was the highest run scorer in the tournament, with Sangakkara being the third highest (the second highest was Sachin Tendulkar of India).The Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa
Mahinda Rajapaksa
Percy Mahendra "Mahinda" Rajapaksa ; ; born November 18, 1945) is the 6th and current President of Sri Lanka and Commander in Chief of the Sri Lankan Armed Forces. A lawyer by profession, Rajapaksa was first elected to the Parliament of Sri Lanka in 1970, and served as prime minister from April 6,...
hosted High Tea for the Sri Lankan players and spouses on the grounds of the Presidential residence, Temple Trees.
Reception in India
Indian fans were ecstatic at the win, and at the overall performance of the team through the tournament. Celebrations went on through most of India over the weekend.The Indian President Pratibha Patil
Pratibha Patil
Pratibha Devisingh Patil is the 12th President of the Republic of India and first woman to hold the office. She was sworn in as President of India on 25 July 2007, succeeding Dr. A.P.J...
hosted High Tea for the Indian players and spouses on the grounds of the Raj Bhavan (Governor's House) in Mumbai.
There was no ticker tape parade for the team on an open bus (as was organized after the 2007 Twenty20 World Cup win) because of the hectic schedule, with the 2011 edition of the Indian Premier League
Indian Premier League
The Indian Premier League is a professional league for Twenty20 cricket competition in India. It was initiated by the Board of Control for Cricket in India , headquartered in Mumbai, and is supervised by BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla, who serves as the league's Chairman and Commissioner...
starting on 8 April.
Prizes for Indian Players
Apart from the World Cup trophy itself, the Indian team was given many prizes from the cricket board, various state governments, and public and private companies.- The BCCIBoard of Control for Cricket in IndiaThe Board of Control for Cricket in India , headquartered at Mumbai, is the national governing body for all cricket in India. It's not the apex governing body in India. The board was formed in December 1928 as BCCI replaced Calcutta Cricket Club. BCCI is a society, registered under the Tamil Nadu...
declared reward for each member of World Cup-winning squad. Also, cash rewards of and were announced for each member of support staff and selection committee respectively. was awarded to Dhoni and awarded to four Delhi players in the victorious team from the Delhi government. - Various motor companies donated cars including Hyundai India giving Vernas to the team, FerrariFerrariFerrari S.p.A. is an Italian sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy. Founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1929, as Scuderia Ferrari, the company sponsored drivers and manufactured race cars before moving into production of street-legal vehicles as Ferrari S.p.A. in 1947...
gave a 599 GTO India edition to Dhoni, and AudiAudiAudi AG is a German automobile manufacturer, from supermini to crossover SUVs in various body styles and price ranges that are marketed under the Audi brand , positioned as the premium brand within the Volkswagen Group....
gave a car to Man of the Tournament Yuvraj SinghYuvraj SinghYuvraj Singh Bhandal is an Indian cricketer, and the son of former Indian fast bowler and Punjabi movie star Yograj Singh. He has been a member of the Indian cricket team since 2000 and played his first Test match in 2003. He was the vice captain of the ODI team from late-2007 to late-2008... - The Gujarat state government decided that both Munaf PatelMunaf PatelMunaf Musa Patel Urdu:مناف موسی پٹیل is an Indian cricketer who has also played for the West Zone in the Duleep Trophy and Gujarat, Mumbai cricket team and Maharashtra cricket team....
and Yusuf PathanYusuf PathanYusuf Pathan is an Indian cricketer. Pathan made his debut in first-class cricket in 2001/02. He is a powerful and aggressive batsman and a right-arm offbreak bowler. His brother Irfan Pathan is also an Indian cricketer...
would be awarded with the highest sports honours of the state - Eklavya Award. - The Indian team received a cheque of about from the ICC.
- The Punjab government announced each for both Harbhajan SinghHarbhajan SinghHarbhajan Singh Plaha , commonly known as Harbhajan Singh, is an Indian cricketer. A specialist bowler, he has the second-highest number of Test wickets by an off spinner, behind Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan....
and Yuvraj SinghYuvraj SinghYuvraj Singh Bhandal is an Indian cricketer, and the son of former Indian fast bowler and Punjabi movie star Yograj Singh. He has been a member of the Indian cricket team since 2000 and played his first Test match in 2003. He was the vice captain of the ODI team from late-2007 to late-2008...
. - Indian railways announced Sunday that members of the team will be given lifetime complimentary passes to travel by air-conditioned first class.
- Maharashtra government awarded cash prize for Sachin Tendulkar, Zaheer KhanZaheer KhanZaheer Khan is an Indian cricketer who has been a member of the Indian cricket team since 2000. A left arm fast bowler considered as the best of the Indian fast bowling attack, Zaheer is known for his ability to swing the ball both ways, and as a batsman also holds the record for the highest Test...
. - Jharkhand Chief Minister announced that land would be allotted to Dhoni to set up a cricket academy and school in Ranchi.
- Karnataka government announced to each of the 15 members in India's World Cup squad.
- Uttarakhand offered Dhoni a residential plot or house in the hill station of MussoorieMussoorieMussoorie is a city and a municipal board in the Dehradun District of the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is located about 35 km from the state capital of Dehradun and 290 km north from the national capital of New Delhi...
and a stadium will be built in the state in his honour. - A Real-Estate developer in Rajkot gave each member of the squad a plot of land, including South African coach Gary KirstenGary KirstenGary Kirsten is a former South African cricketer, and the World Cup winning coach of the Indian cricket team. He played 101 Test matches and 185 One-day internationals for South Africa between 1993 and 2004, mainly as an opening batsman...
- A Real-Estate firm gifted luxury villas in NoidaNoidaNoida , short for the New Okhla Industrial Development Area, is an area in India under the management of the New Okhla Industrial Development Authority . Noida came into administrative existence on 17 April 1976 and celebrates 17 April as "Noida Day". It was set up as part of an urbanization...
extension worth a total of to Team India.
Change in the Sri Lanka team
After some days of deliberation, Kumar Sangakkara, the Sri Lankan captain announced on 5 April that he was resigning from the post of captain of the One Day International and Twenty20Twenty20
Twenty20 is a form of cricket, originally introduced in England for professional inter-county competition by the England and Wales Cricket Board , in 2003. A Twenty20 game involves two teams, each has a single innings, batting for a maximum of 20 overs. Twenty20 cricket is also known as T20 cricket...
sides in the long-term interest of the team. According to him, as he would be 37 by the time of the 2015 World Cup, could not be sure of his place in the side then and it would be better for a new captain to be groomed now, who would be at the peak of his career during that tournament. He stated he was willing to captain the team for the upcoming tours of England and possibly Australia if the selectors felt this would aid the transition to a new captaincy. A day after Sangakkara's announcement, Mahela Jayawardene resigned from the post of vice-captain, and Aravinda de Silva
Aravinda de Silva
Pinnaduwage Aravinda de Silva is a former Sri Lankan cricketer, who is considered one of the finest batsmen produced by the country.He is also regarded as one of the most elegant batsman in his generation, and to date is the only player to make a hundred and take 3 or more wickets in a world cup...
from the post of Chairman of Selectors.
Demand of Bharat Ratna for Sachin Tendulkar
After India's world cup performance, the Legislative AssemblyLegislative Assembly
Legislative Assembly is the name given in some countries to either a legislature, or to one of its branch.The name is used by a number of member-states of the Commonwealth of Nations, as well as a number of Latin American countries....
for the state of Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
, to which Sachin Tendulkar belongs, passed a unanimous resolution recommending that he be awarded the Bharat Ratna
Bharat Ratna
Bharat Ratna is the Republic of India's highest civilian award, awarded for the highest degrees of national service. This service includes artistic, literary, and scientific achievements, as well as "recognition of public service of the highest order." Unlike knights, holders of the Bharat Ratna...
. Last awarded in 2008, the Bharat Ratna is India's highest civilian award, awarded for the highest degrees of national service. Tendulkar is already a recipient of the second-highest Indian civilian decoration, Padma Vibhushan
Padma Vibhushan
The Padma Vibhushan is the second highest civilian award in the Republic of India. It consists of a medal and a citation and is awarded by the President of India. It was established on 2 January 1954. It ranks behind the Bharat Ratna and comes before the Padma Bhushan...
, and the highest sports decoration, Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna
Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna
The Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna is India’s highest honour given for achievement in sports. The words "Khel Ratna" literally mean "Sports Gem" in Hindi. The award is named after the late Rajiv Gandhi, former Prime Minister of India. It carries a medal, a scroll of honour and a substantial cash...
.