World Cup 2011: Where are the Indian world champions now?

On 2 April, 2011, India beat Sri Lanka by six wickets at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, to win the World Cup for the second time. A decade later, here is where the fifteen world champions are.

After leading India to the World No. 1 ranking in Test cricket and all three ICC trophy wins (World T20, World Cup, Champions Trophy), MS Dhoni announced retirement from international cricket in 2020. However, he continues to lead Chennai Super Kings, who had won the title in 2010, 2011, and 2018 under his leadership.

Sachin Tendulkar retired from cricket in 2013/14 amidst a much-hyped farewell Test series. He became the first sportsperson to be honoured with the Bharat Ratna, and continues to hold the world record for most runs and centuries in both Tests and ODIs. He now mentors Mumbai Indians.

A string of injuries and indifferent form pushed Virender Sehwag‘s illustrious career to a rapid end. He still holds the Indian record for the two highest scores in Test cricket (319 and 309). He later coached Punjab Kings, and is currently a popular commentator.

Gautam Gambhir led Kolkata Knight Riders to their first two IPL titles. He attempted multiple comebacks, the latest in 2016, before calling quits. He is currently a commentator and the incumbent Bharatiya Janata Party MP, Lok Sabha, from East Delhi.

Virat Kohli is en route to become India’s most successful captain across formats. He is also threatening to break several of Tendulkar’s records, especially in ODIs. One of the finest batsmen in contemporary cricket, Kohli also leads Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Yuvraj Singh recovered from cancer, and that is an understatement. He made it back to international arena, much to the joy of his fans. He won a Player of the Match award as late as in the 2017 Champions Trophy. However, inconsistent form got the better of him. He retired in 2019.

Minutes after Dhoni’s announcement, Suresh Raina, too, bid farewell to international cricket after an illustrious limited-overs career. Just like Dhoni, however, he continues to play for Chennai. Chinna Thala is, after all, their leading run-scorer.

Despite losing his place in the Test side to R Ashwin, Harbhajan Singh is yet to announce retirement. While an international comeback seems unlikely, Harbhajan, now 40, continues to play in the IPL. He will play for Kolkata Knight Riders this year.

Zaheer Khan became the second Indian fast bowler, after Kapil Dev, to take 300 Test wickets, but his international career faded away. He never fully recovered after walking away with a pulled muscle at Lord’s, months after the World Cup. He is currently the bowling coach of Mumbai Indians.

The perennially smiling Munaf Patel, one of the main architects of India’s win, played domestic cricket until 2016 but retired only in 2018.

Spot-fixing allegations in the 2013 IPL earned S Sreesanth a life ban. However, in 2019, the Supreme Court of India requested the BCCI “to reconsider” the decision. The ban was reduced to seven years, and Sreesanth played for Kerala in 2020/21.

Ashish Nehra did not play another match before making a return to the Indian T20I side. Over the next two years he emerged as the spearhead of the attack. He got a hero’s farewell.

After smashing his way from one record to another, R Ashwin has staked a claim as the greatest spinner in Test cricket in Indian history. The 400-wicket mark did not take him even a decade, and he seems hungrier with every passing day.

Yusuf Pathan continued to smash bowlers for sixes, both in domestic cricket and in the IPL. In 2015 he slammed an 18-ball fifty, at that point the joint-fastest fifty in Ranji Trophy history. He retired in February 2021.

Piyush Chawla has evolved from a baby-faced prodigy to a senior professional. Currently at Mumbai Indians and Gujarat, he still has a few years left in him.