To take victory lap as 2011 WC champions was ultimate feeling: Sachin Tendulkar

Mumbai, April 24:  The 2011 World Cup was the last piece of Sachin Tendulkar's illustrious jigsaw. On the fateful night of April 2 in 2011, when MS Dhoni hit that six to win the trophy, the 'Little Master' came running down the stairs of the Wankhede Stadium where he has grown up playing the game that he owned after a point.

Tendulkar was then lifted on the shoulders of his teammates and carried around the stadium with chants of the famous "Sachin Sachin" reverberating across the amphitheater. It was poetic justice for a man who has bossed the game like no other for over two decades, smashing all records on the way and helping India scale unprecedented heights.

On his 47th birthday, the International Cricket Council (ICC) Cricket World Cup official Instagram handle shared his take on the 2011 World Cup triumph and for a moment it was nostalgia once again for his fans across the country, helping them forget the doom and gloom of the COVID-19 crisis for a bit.

"I was the highest run-getter for the team, and my contribution was worth it. In the end, what matters is that the trophy is in your dressing room." Sachin had said on winning the biggest trophy in his sixth attempt.

"It was the most beautiful moment of my life on a cricket field. There cannot be a greater moment. To take the victory lap as champions was the ultimate feeling. That's the best cricketing moment of my life," Sachin added.

"Yes I was excited when I wore the India cap for the first time. But nothing matches 2011. The whole country was celebrating. Very rarely you get to see entire nation celebrating together."

Tendulkar made his debut against Pakistan at Karachi in 1989 as a 16-year old. The rest, as they say, is history as the master batsman went on to play 200 Tests for India, scoring 100 centuries across Tests and ODIs. In 463 ODIs, Tendulkar scored 18,426 runs and in Tests, he has 15,921 runs to his name.