Gautam Gambhir, a potential head coach for Team India, shared that he was just 11 when he promised to help India win the World Cup. He remembered India’s loss to Australia in the 1992 World Cup, saying it made him so sad that he cried all night, more than he ever had before. In that game, India had to chase a reduced target of 235 runs in 47 overs after Australia scored 237/9 in a match affected by rain at the Gabba in Brisbane.
The equation was reduced to five runs needed from four balls, but when Venkatapathy Raju was run out in the last over, India lost the game by just one run.
Reflecting on that night, Gambhir mentioned that the loss made him realize his desire to win the World Cup for India.
“After witnessing that match, I felt a strong desire to win the World Cup for India. I vividly remember the 1992 India-Australia World Cup match in Brisbane, where India lost by one run, and I actually cried all night. I’ve never cried that intensely before or since, and I’m not sure why,” Gambhir shared in an interview with Sportskeeda.
Gambhir noted that although he was only 11 years old at the time, it was fulfilling to contribute to India’s victory in not just one, but two World Cups.
“When I was 11 years old, I cried all night and said I wanted to help India win the World Cup. I said that in 1992, and I made that dream come true in 2011. I didn’t feel as sad before or after that match as I did then. I remember a game where Venkatapathy Raju got out and India lost by just one run. The game was early in the morning, so I watched it after waking up at five in the morning, but I was never as sad before or after that game,” he added.
In 2007, Gambhir scored the most runs for Team India in the exciting final of the ICC World T20 against Pakistan.
Four years later, he scored 97 runs against Sri Lanka, which helped MS Dhoni and the team win the World Cup in 2011, ending India’s 28-year wait for the title.
