Top 3 all-rounders of the 2011 World Cup

10 years ago today, India wrote its name in the history books. Dhoni’s men won the 2011 World Cup in front of their fans at a jam-packed Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Indian bowler Zaheer Khan finished the tournament as the joint highest wicket-taker with Shahid Afridi. This was Sachin Tendulkar’s last World Cup with the Men in Blue. The 2011 World Cup was host to several superb performances from both the bowlers and the batsmen. All-rounders also rose to the occasion, delivering for the team when it mattered most.

Here are the top 3 all-rounders of the 2011 World Cup. 

3. Shahid Afridi (84 runs, 21 wickets and 5 catches)

Shahid Afridi had quite the outing with Pakistan in the 2011 World Cup. Even though Boom Boom Afridi did not impress much with the bat, he was unplayable with the ball. Throughout the course of the tournament, Afridi picked 2 four-wicket hauls and 2 five-wicket hauls. His frugal economy of just 3.62 clearly highlights how essential Afridi was for the Pakistan side. The Pakistani all-rounder also picked up 5 catches in total in the 2011 World Cup. Unfortunately, Pakistan lost to India in the semis. However, Afridi finished as the joint highest wicket-taker with Indian pacer Zaheer Khan.

2. Tillakaratne Dilshan (500 runs, 8 wickets and 6 catches)

Dilshan was arguably Sri Lanka’s most important player throughout the course of the 2011 World Cup. Dilshan finished the tournament as the leading run-scorer, smashing 500 runs in just 9 innings. He notched 2 centuries, with a spectacular 144 against Zimbabwe. The Sri Lankan cricketer was also quite handy with the ball, picking up 8 wickets in total. Dilshan picked a total of 6 catches in the entirety of the tournament. The Sri Lankan all-rounder was arguably one of the best players of the 2011 World Cup.

1. Yuvraj Singh (362 runs, 15 wickets and  3 catches)

There is a reason why Yuvraj Singh was awarded the Man of the Tournament in the 2011 World Cup. He was the embodiment of an ideal all-rounder. Whether it was about smashing balls out of the park or about picking important wickets, Yuvraj Singh did it all. In a match against Ireland, Yuvraj picked up 5 wickets and also smashed a half-century. He became the 1st player ever to achieve both feats in the same match in a World Cup game. Had Yuvraj not been on the India side, it would definitely be tremendously difficult to win the 2011 World Cup.

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