India's 2011 World Cup winning members: What are they up to now?

India won the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 on April 2, 2011 defeating Sri Lanka in the final.

The 2011 World Cup win under MS Dhoni was probably the biggest moment in Indian cricket in the last 40 odd years. This was only the second time since 1983, when the Indian team lifted the most prestigious title in cricket history. Those moments are still refreshing in the minds of cricket fans. It’s been 13 years since MS Dhoni hit the most iconic six.

Efforts from MS Dhoni and Gautam Gambhir in the chase led India to their second title, and India chased down a 275-run target with ten balls to spare. The entire nation celebrated with those 15 men. 13 years have passed since India won the World Cup, but what about the players who helped India win the title ? Only a few are still active professional cricketers and some other are still associated with the game at different levels.

On that note, let’s take a look at what Indian cricketers from 2011 World Cup winning squad are up to now.

India’s 2011 World Cup winners: What are they up to now?

1. MS Dhoni (c):

The Indian captain MS Dhoni was only the second captain to lead India to Cricket World Cup glory. He struggled throughout the tournament but played a match-winning knock of an unbeaten 91 in the final to take India to victory. After that, he was also part of the 2015 and 2019 World Cups, where India lost the semi-finals. Well, Dhoni announced his international retirement on August 15, 2020. But he is still playing in the Indian Premier League and led CSK to the 2021 and 2023 titles after his retirement from international cricket.

2. Virender Sehwag

Destructive opener Virender Sehwag was India’s third-highest run-scorer in the tournament. He scored 380 runs at 47.5 and had a strike rate of 122.58 in the 2011 World Cup. He played his last international match in 2013 and was dropped because of his poor form. Sehwag announced his retirement in October 2015. After his retirement, he was seen in action in some retired-player leagues. However, he is pretty active as a commentator and cricket analyst in the IPL and at the international level.

3. Sachin Tendulkar

Sachin Tendulkar had a legendary career, and there aren’t many that can come even close to what he achieved in his career. The most important moment in Sachin’s career was the 2011 World Cup win. It was his sixth attempt, and he finally got it. With 482 runs, Sachin was the highest run-scorer for India. He retired from international cricket in November 2013. Since then, he has been involved with the five-time IPL champions Mumbai Indians as a mentor and plays in some odd retired-player leagues.

4. Gautam Gambhir

Gautam Gambhir played a crucial role in India’s 2011 World Cup win. His gutsy 97-run knock when India lost Sehwag and Sachin at the top took India out of danger in the final. He was unfortunate to miss what could be a dream ton for him. But his contribution was immense. Gambhir played his last international match in 2016 and was active in the IPL until 2018. He retired in 2018 and joined politics in 2019. He was active in politics until 2024. During this period, he also worked as a coach with some IPL teams and also did commentary in IPL matches for Team India. Currently, he is working as mentor for KKR in the IPL.

5. Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli played an important knock of 35 runs in the final and made a partnership of 83 runs with Gambhir to take India out of trouble after losing both in-form openers. Virat, after that, became the captain of the Indian team. He led India to the semi-finals of the 2019 World Cup and is a modern-day legend. He is still an active international cricketer and is probably the biggest brand in the game at the moment.

6. Yuvraj Singh

Without the contribution of Yuvraj Singh, India might not have won that tournament. Suffering from a health issue, Yuvraj showed character and ended up winning the Player of the Tournament award. He scored 362 runs with the bat, with one century and four half-centuries. With the ball, he took 15 wickets with a best of 5/31. The Southpaw played his last international game in 2017 and was active in the IPL until 2019. Later, he retired in June 2019, but he is still active in other retired-players’ leagues around the world.

7. Suresh Raina

Suresh Raina’s unbeaten 36-run knock against Australia in the quarter-final of 2011 World Cup was one of the most underrated innings played in the tournament. He got limited chances but was very effective. Raina’s last international match was in 2018, and he retired from international cricket in August 2020. He was active in the IPL until 2021, and in 2022, he announced his retirement from all forms of the game. After his retirement, he was active in other T20 leagues. He also joined the Hindi commentary panel for the IPL and international matches.

8. Harbhajan Singh

Former Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh was also a key player who played all the games in the 2011 World Cup. Bhajii took nine wickets at an economy rate of 4.48. In 2016, he played his last match for India. But he was active in the Indian Premier League and played until 2021. In December 2021, he announced his retirement in all forms. In March 2022, he joined politics with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). Apart from that, Bhajji is active and seen doing commentary for IPL and Indian team matches. He also has a YouTube channel and also plays in retired-cricketers’ leagues.

9. Zaheer Khan

Former Indian pacer Zaheer Khan was a crucial player for India in the 2011 World Cup. He was the joint-highest wicket-taker in the tournament. Zaheer took 21 wickets in nine games at an average of 18.76. His last international match was in 2014, but he played in the IPL until 2017. In the same year, he announced his retirement in all forms. He is currently associated with Mumbai Indians as director of cricket operations, is a part-time commentator, and also works as a cricket analyst.

10. Munaf Patel

Munaf Patel was one of the unsung heroes of the 2011 World Cup for India. He played eight games in the tournament and took 11 wickets at a decent economy rate of 5.36. But after 2011, he was not picked up by the Indian team again. He was also active in the IPL until 2017 and retired in November 2018. After his retirement, he used to play in other T20 leagues with retired cricketers.

11. S Sreesanth

S. Sreesanth, who was known for his uncontrollable aggression, was also part of the 2011 World Cup team. Though he played only two matches, including the final, he couldn’t take a wicket. But the World Cup final was his last ODI for India, and he retired in 2013. In 2016, he joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He was also seen on the reality show Big Boss as a participant. In recent times, he was seen in action in a few T20 leagues for retired cricketers.

12. Ashish Nehra

Former left-arm pacer Ashish Nehra was another player who was part of the 2011 World Cup-winning team. He played three games in the tournament and took three wickets. Nehra retired from cricket in November 2018. After his retirement, he worked as a bowling coach with RCB and also worked as a Hindi commentator. He is currently working as head coach of Gujarat Titans in the IPL.

13. Yusuf Pathan

Former all-rounder Yusuf Pathan was also a member of the 2011 World Cup-winning Indian team. He played six games and scored 74 runs at a strike rate of 115.62. He wasn’t picked for the Indian team after 2012 but was playing at the IPL and domestic level until 2019. In 2021, he retired from cricket and played in T20 and T10 leagues globally. He recently joined politics for the Trinamool Congress (TMC).

14. Piyush Chawla

Veteran leg-spinner Piyush Chawla was also part of the India squad for Cricket World Cup 2011. He even featured in three matches and took four wickets for India. But after 2012, he was dropped from the team. But Chawla is still active in the Indian Premier League. He hasn’t announced his retirement, but the IPL 2024 could be his final season.

15. Ravi Ashwin

Ravi Ashwin played two games for India in the 2011 World Cup and took four wickets at an economy rate of 4.65. It was the first ICC tournament for him. Since then, he has been active at the international level. The veteran spinner is India’s premier spinner in red-ball cricket and also plays in the IPL. He also has a YouTube channel where he provides his match insights when not playing.

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