IPL 2023 [WATCH]: MS Dhoni inaugurates 2011 World Cup victory memorial at Wankhede ahead of MI vs CSK clash

Former India captain MS Dhoni has inaugurated the victory memorial at the Wankhede Stadium, where his iconic six had landed during the 2011 World Cup final against Sri Lanka. The inauguration took place on the eve of the IPL 2023 match between Mumbai Indians (MI) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK). Dhoni had led the💃 Indian team to a memorable victory🌜 on home soil, ending a 28-year-long wait for the second ODI World Cup trophy.

In order to pay tribute to the Indian team’s sensational victory on their home ground, the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) decided to construct a memorial at the exact location where Dhoni’s iconic match-winning six had landed. As a part of this initiative, the MCA will remove five chairs (seat number J282 – J286) from the pavilion stand to make way for the memorial.

Here is the video:

One six for the man. One billion dreams for India.
Time to memoralise it!

— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL)

Speaking about the 2011 World Cup summit clash, Sri Lanka batted first and set a competitive target of 274/6 in 50 overs. Veteran batter Mahela Jayawardene smashed an unbeaten century (103), while skipper Kumar Sangakkara chipped in with a valuable 48.

The hosts then began their chase but on a poor note, losing both legends Virender Sehwag (0) and Sachin Tendulkar (18) early. Before the tourists could capitalise further, Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli steadied the ship with a crucial partnership🐟 of 83 runs to bring back India into the game.

Gambhir went on to score 97 runs off 122 balls and formed a game-changing 109-run partnership with skipper Dhoni, who remained unbeaten on 91 off 79 balls. Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh (21 not out) put together 54 runs for the fifth wicket, leading India to their first World Cup title in 28 years. Dhoni hit the iconic six in the stands against Lankan pacer Nuwan Kulasekara, making it a historic moment for Indian cricket.