Team India head coach prospect Gautam Gambhir has revealed that he was only 11 years old when he vowed to win the World Cup for the country. Recalling the 1992 World Cup loss to Australia, Gambhir suggested that the defeat made him so emotional that he cried the whole night, adding that he never shed that many tears in his entire life. Coming back to the match, India were given a revised target of 235 (47 overs) after Australia scored 237/9 in a rain-hit match at the Gabba, Brisbane.
The equation was down to five off four balls, but Venkatapathy Raju‘s run out in the final over saw India lose the game by a solitary run.
Recalling the night, Gambhir said that the defeat made him realise that he wanted to win the World Cup for India.
“After seeing a match, I wanted to win the World Cup for India. I remember the 1992 India-Australia World Cup game in Brisbane, which India lost by one run, and I actually remember that I cried the entire night. I have never cried like that before or after that, and I don’t know why,” Gambhir said during a chat with Sportskeeda.
Gambhir suggested that while he was only 11 at that time, it was nice that he managed to help India win not one, but two World Cups.
“I was an 11-year-old at that time. I cried the entire night and said that I wanted to win the World Cup for India. I said that in 1992 and I was able to fulfill that dream in 2011. I would have felt unhappy before or after that match but I didn’t used to cry like that. I remember Venkatapathy Raju getting run out and India lost by one run. The match used to come early in the morning, so I used to watch that game after waking up at five in the morning, but I was never as sad before or after that game,” he added.
In 2007, Gambhir top-scored for Team India in the ICC World T20 blockbuster final against Pakistan.
Four years later, he smashed 97 against Sri Lanka to help MS Dhoni and Co. end India’s 28-year wait for a World Cup title in 2011.
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