Indian cricket’s wait for a senior ICC World Cup title continues since Dhoni & Co’s triumph in 2011

It’s been over a decade since Mahendra Singh Dhoni led the Indian men’s cricket team to the ICC ODI World Cup title. And it’s been over a decade since the senior Indian cricket team, men’s or women’s, won an ICC World Cup title.

India’s triumph at the Wankhede Stadium on April 2, 2011, will forever remain special for fans of the team. It ended a 28-year wait for a world title and promised the beginning of a glorious phase for India in white-ball cricket.

However, despite all of India’s successes since 2011 and some of the finest players in their ranks, a World Cup winner’s trophy has eluded the women and men in blue.

ODI World Cups

2013: The first ODI World Cup after 2011 saw the Indian women’s team getting knocked out in the group stage in 2013. Led by Mithali Raj, they started the tournament with a win over West Indies, but went on to lose their remaining three group games and didn’t qualify for the Super Sixes.

2015: Then came the men’s ODI World Cup in 2015, with Dhoni and Co losing to eventual champions Australia in the semi-finals. India started the tournament with a victory against Pakistan and remained unbeaten in six games to top their pool. But after a big win over Bangladesh in the quarters, they were blown away by the Aussies in the semis.

2017: India’s impressive performance at the 2017 Women’s ODI World Cup was a turning point for women’s cricket in the country. On the back of an iconic knock by Harmanpreet Kaur, India beat defending champions Australia in the semis. Against hosts England in the final, they put themselves in a strong position to lift the title but fell agonisingly short at the end.

2019: At the 2019 men’s ODI World Cup, India were the dominant team for the better part of the tournament. With 10 teams participating and facing every other team in the league stage, Virat Kohli’s men lost just one game to storm into the semis. But then, against New Zealand, came a stunning batting collapse that India could never recover from.

T20 World Cups

2012: This was the first World Cup post 2011 and it saw India getting knocked out in the Super Eight stage. Dhoni and Co beat Afghanistan and England in the group stage and in the Super Eights, they beat Pakistan and South Africa but missed out on the semis due to an inferior net run-rate.

2012: The women’s World T20 was played alongside the men’s tournament in 2012 and India failed to go past the group stage. Led by Mithali, India lost to England, Australia and Pakistan to end a disappointing campaign.

2014: Since 2011, the 2014 World T20 remains the closest the Indian men’s team has come to winning a World Cup. Dhoni’s team was unbeaten in the group stage and edged out South Africa in the semi-finals. But despite a valiant knock by Kohli in the final, India fell short against Sri Lanka.

2014: Once again, the men’s and women’s World T20s were played alongside each other in 2014. Mithali and Co won two and lost two in the group stage to miss out on the semis. However, they ended their campaign on a high by beating Pakistan in the qualification playoff for the 2016 World T20.

2016: At the 2016 men’s World T20, India finished second in their group after winning three out of four games. The highlights were Dhoni’s famous last-ball run-out against Bangladesh and Kohli’s epic knock against Australia in Mohali. But in the semis, despite another Kohli masterclass, India suffered a narrow defeat to eventual champions West Indies.

2016: At the women’s World T20, it was another group stage exit for Mithali’s team. India started the tournament with a win against Bangladesh but went on to lose their remaining three group games and Pakistan, England and West Indies.

2018: India beat Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan and Ireland in the group stage at the women’s World T20 in 2018. Led by Harmanpreet, who went on to finish as the second highest run-scorer in the tournament (just ahead of teammate Smriti Mandhana), India put in memorable performances in the group stage. But in the semi-finals, their batting collapsed as England registered a comfortable eight-wicket win.

2020: The Indian women’s cricket team then went a step further in 2020 by reaching the final of the T20 World Cup. Led once again by Harmanpreet, India started the tournament by beating hosts Australia. They followed that up by winning their next three games as well and topping their group. This helped them edge out England in the semis as the match was abandoned due to rain. But in the final, in front of a packed Melbourne Cricket Ground, Australia proved to be too strong and beat India by 85 runs.

2021: In what was Kohli’s last assignment as India’s captain in the shortest format, the men in blue got knocked out in the group stage. They ended the tournament with a hat-trick of wins, but defeats in their first two games against Pakistan and New Zealand meant they couldn’t qualify for the semi-finals.

World Test C’ship

In the inaugural edition of the World Test Championship, India, led by Kohli for the most part, delivered a number of memorable performances to top the league stage and reach the final. They won five of their six series in the WTC cycle, won 12 of the 17 Tests they played during the period, and remained dominant at home while earning impressive victories overseas.

The highlight for India was a second successive series victory in Australia. After a shocking defeat in Adelaide, India, led by Ajinkya Rahane, showed tremendous grit to overcome a number of injuries in the squad and win matches in Melbourne and Brisbane to seal the series.

However, in the final, New Zealand once again got the better of India. The match was played in Southampton, and the Indian batters struggled to cope with the swing and seam of the Kiwi pacers. All-rounder Kyle Jamieson played a starring role as Kane Williamson’s team won by eight wickets.