‘Dhoni never spoke about that final’

Former Sri Lanka pacer Nuwan Kulasekara has revealed that MS Dhoni never once brought up the 2011 ODI World Cup final during their time together at Chennai Super Kings (CSK), despite the Indian skipper hitting the iconic winning six off his bowling to seal the title.

India defeated Sri Lanka in a memorable final at the Wankhede Stadium, with Dhoni’s unbeaten 91 off 79 deliveries guiding the hosts to their second ODI World Cup triumph. The decisive moment came when the legendary wicketkeeper-batter launched Kulasekara over long-on for a six, a shot that has since become one of the most iconic images in cricket history.

Interestingly, Kulasekara joined CSK immediately after the World Cup and spent the 2011 and 2012 IPL seasons under Dhoni’s captaincy. Looking back at that phase, the former seamer praised Dhoni’s humility and admired his ability to move on from the past.

“I joined Chennai Super Kings immediately after the World Cup, but Dhoni never spoke about that final. That shows the kind of person he is. He is incredibly calm and always focused on the present. For him, the past is over. His only concern was winning the next game. That is something I really admired about him,” Kulasekara said in a conversation with RevSportz.

Kulasekara also reflected on conceding the winning runs in the final, admitting that while the moment was painful, he has learned to look at it positively. He pointed out that Sri Lanka’s triumph in the 2014 T20 World Cup helped ease some of the disappointment from the 2011 loss.

“In cricket, especially during the powerplay and the death overs, such things can happen to any bowler. I tried my best to dismiss him (Dhoni), but he still hit me for a six. The positive memory is that we came back and won the 2014 T20 World Cup in a similar fashion. That is how this beautiful game works,” he further added.

Although Kulasekara featured in just one match during the 2011 IPL season, he was part of the CSK squad that lifted its second IPL title that year.

Kulasekara rues dropping Gautam Gambhir in 2011 World Cup final

The former fast bowler also opened up on one of his biggest regrets from the summit clash, dropping Gautam Gambhir when the left-hander was batting on 30. Gambhir made Sri Lanka pay for the missed opportunity, anchoring India’s chase with a crucial 97 off 122 balls.

Kulasekara admitted that the dropped catch remains a disappointing memory but added that such moments are an unavoidable part of the game. He also cited Ben Stokes’ journey from the heartbreak of the 2016 T20 World Cup final to England’s 2019 ODI World Cup triumph as an example of how fortunes can change in cricket.

“At one stage we definitely believed we could win. I dropped an important catch off Gambhir, and naturally there is regret. But these moments happen in big matches. Ben Stokes experienced something similar in the 2016 T20 World Cup final before going on to play a match-winning role in England’s 2019 World Cup triumph. These experiences are part of the game. I also believe the dew played a significant role in that final,” said Kulasekara.

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