Follow UsIndia won the 2011 World Cup at home and became the first cricket team to win an ODI World Cup at home in the tournament’s 36-year history. It happened after India remained disciplined throughout the tournament and followed a special rule made by legendary batter Sachin Tendulkar.
Suresh Raina, who was playing his maiden World Cup in that tournament, revealed how that rule kept everyone in the team united.
“The 2011 World Cup was quite special. Paaji [Sachin] and Gary Kirsten made the atmosphere in the dressing room. They kept the team together, and they said that everyone should respect each other,” Raina said in a YouTube video posted by Ranbeer Allahbadia for his show Taakat.
“No one had won on home soil, and we made it happen. We always stood together as a team, and Paaji made a rule, ‘Everyone has to be at the breakfast table at 7:45 AM, and anyone late should pay a 10,000 Rupees fine,” Raina explained.
The former India and Chennai Super Kings star also revealed how he, like others in the team, had no idea that Yuvraj Singh, Player Of The Tournament and one of the main men because of whom India won the World Cup, was suffering from cancer.
“Yuvraj was the most impressive of all the players in the 2011 World Cup. When I saw him vomiting, I thought it was because of Chennai’s heat, because it was a day game. But later, when I got to know that it was because of cancer, hats off to that guy,” said the 38-year-old.
Talking about the best moment from the World Cup, Raina picked the goosebump moment when the fans sang Vande Mataram after India won the World Cup, beating Sri Lanka in the final.
“When there was Vande Mataram at Wankhede, it was a surreal feeling. I can’t explain,” said the southpaw.