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[Watch] When Virat Kohli's Partnership With Gautam Gambhir Won India The 2011 World Cup

Gambhir and Kohli during the 2011 World Cup final (x.com)Gambhir and Kohli during the 2011 World Cup final (x.com)

Delhi-based batting giants Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli are set to form an unlikely alliance for Indian cricket. While Gambhir was recently appointed as Team India’s new head coach, veteran Kohli is at the cusp of entering the twilight stage of his international playing career.

As the two herald a fresh chapter for India, here at OneCricket, we take a look back at the time when they set up a concrete base of their country’s drought-ending World Cup win in 2011.


When Virat Kohli and Gambhir won India the World Cup

Virat Kohli, in the third year of his international career, was picked up for India’s 2011 World Cup squad, joining Delhi teammate and senior colleague Gautam Gambhir in the process. 

While both Kohli and Gambhir shaped confident scores in the initial few weeks of the tournament, the two cricketers went through a bit of a form slump during the backend of the competition.

In the title clash against Sri Lanka at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium, both Kohli and Gambhir formed forces for Team India at 31-2 in a tense chase of 275. With both in-form openers (Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar) were sent back to the sheds within the first seven overs, Kohli and Gambhir cautiously carved handy runs to take India past the 100-run mark.

The two Delhi-based batting units forged 83 runs together from 93 balls, before Kohli (35 off 49 balls) was out caught-and-bowled by Tillakaratne Dilshan at 114-3. Regardless, Gambhir went on to smack 97 from 122 balls and shared another match-defining partnership with unbeaten MS Dhoni (91* off 79 balls).

While Dhoni brought up the winning runs in the penultimate over, the two Delhi batting maestros rescued India’s sinking ship from an unwavering start with a fighting stand.

Gautam Gambhir made his Delhi debut during the 2000-01 Indian domestic season, while Kohli made his debut for the same team in early 2006. The two cricketers shared the same dressing room for Delhi before representing Team India at the highest level for several years.

While an ageing Gambhir announced an early retirement from the international level, he will now take Indian cricket forward as their head coach.