![Sri Lanka pacer makes big statement on MS Dhoni [Source: AFP]](https://onecricketnews.akamaized.net/parth-editor/oc-dashboard/news-images-prod/1785763119346_MSDhoni.jpg?type=hq)
Sri Lanka pacer makes big statement on MS Dhoni [Source: AFP]
Sri Lanka fast bowler Nuwan Kulasekara, who was on the receiving end of MS Dhoni's assault during the 2011 World Cup final, shared an interesting insight on the Indian captain’s demeanour post the tournament.
India defeated Sri Lanka in the final at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium to win their second ODI World Cup in 2011. Captain Dhoni played one of the greatest innings in World Cup history, scoring an unbeaten 91 off 79 balls.
The match ended memorably when MS Dhoni hit Nuwan Kulasekara for a six over long-on, a shot that became one of cricket's most iconic moments.
Nuwan Kulasekara opens up on sharing dressing room with MS Dhoni
However, shortly after, the rivals became teammates. Nuwan Kulasekara joined Chennai Super Kings for the 2011 and 2012 IPL seasons.
He played under Dhoni's captaincy, and given that the skipper had hit the World Cup-winning six off Kulasekara's bowling just weeks earlier, many would expect the topic to come up.
However, Nuwan Kulasekara recently revealed that MS Dhoni never brought up the World Cup final conversation during his time at CSK in the IPL.
"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 told RevSportz.
He explained that rather than dwelling on past victories or reminding teammates of painful moments, MS Dhoni stayed focused on the present and the team's next challenge.
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Kulasekara’s mistakes cost Sri Lanka big time
Interestingly, in the 2011 World Cup final between Sri Lanka and India, Nuwan Kulasekara made multiple mistakes that eventually contributed to his team’s defeat.
In his spell of 8.2 overs, Nuwan conceded 64 runs without taking a single wicket, thus being the most expensive bowler of the Sri Lankan unit. Not only that, Kulasekara dropped the catch of Gautam Gambhir, who went on to score 97 runs.
Gambhir and MS Dhoni’s knocks ensured that Sri Lanka never got the chance to make a comeback. Eventually, India chased down the total of 275 runs in 48.2 overs to break the 28-year-old trophyless curse.
2011 World Cup victory cemented MS Dhoni’s legacy
The 2011 World Cup final was an iconic match that transformed MS Dhoni and his legacy as captain forever. After the 2007 T20 World Cup, he led India to another important ICC title, that too at home.
Since that day, Dhoni has been ranked amongst India’s finest captains. And he didn’t stop there. He won India the Champions Trophy as well to become the only Indian captain to win 3 ICC trophies for India.
Apart from doing wonders for India, MS Dhoni also displayed his leadership brilliance in the IPL by winning five titles for CSK. To this date, Dhoni owns the reputation as one of the game's most respected leaders.
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