The names of MS Dhoni, Sachin Tendulkar and Yuvraj Singh dominate the discussion of India’s 2011 Cricket World Cup victory. But one player who played the role of a star but was often underrated was Zaheer Khan. Playing as India’s main fast bowler in that tournament, Zaheer took 21 wickets, the joint-most with Australian fast bowler Mitchell Johnson (who also took 21 wickets). If his opening spells are often the setting, it’s his performance in the last 5 overs in the 2011 World Cup that is a compelling study of resilience, adaptability and redemption—especially in the final against Sri Lanka. Let us look back on how Zaheer Khan’s Last 5 Overs in the 2011 World Cup set the stage for India’s march to glory.
Zaheer Khan’s Role in 2011
Zaheer Khan came into the 2011 World Cup as a matured campaigner. Five years on, in 2011, a 32-year-old had grown into a wily left-arm seamer, elite at reverse swing and the knuckleball, skills that made him MS Dhoni’s first-choice man in all challenges. His tournament numbers speak of his brilliance: 21 wickets from 9 matches at an average of 18.76. He often destroyed batting lineups with his early overs, but the last 5 overs of Zaheer khan from the 2011 World Cup demonstrated his battle to get back under pressure.
Last 5 Overs of Zaheer Khan in 2011 World Cup Final
Zaheer’s journey came full circuit with the 2011 World Cup final against Sri Lanka at Wankhede Stadium. The boo boys blasted him for his opening calamity in the 2003 final (7-0-67-0), so he was determined to set the record straight. In the 2011 final his first spell was magical – 5 overs, 3 maidens, 6 runs and the wicket of Upul Tharanga. Sri Lanka had crawled to 31/1 after 10 overs, courtesy of Zaheer’s impeccable control. But 5 overs from Zaheer Khan during the 2011 World Cup final said otherwise.
Zaheer was back for his second spell, bowling overs 40, 46, 48, and 50 — during Sri Lanka’s batting Powerplay and also in death overs. Here’s how it unfolded:
– 40th Over: Zaheer picked up Chamara Kapugedera with a slower ball and had figures of 7-3-16-2 at that point. In that scenario, Sri Lanka were 183/5 and India were still well on top.
— 46th Over: The tide began to turn. Meanwhile, Mahela Jayawardene, batting on 96 on his way to a brilliant 103*, slammed Zaheer for 10, reaching his 8-3-26-2.
48th Over: This was the moment. Nuwan Kulasekara hit a six, followed by Jayawardene’s two fours, plundering 17 runs. Worse still for Zaheer, his figures were now 9-3-43-2.
– 50th Over: 18 runs came from the final over, with Thisara Perera slaughtering two fours and a six off the last ball. Zaheer ended with 10-3-60-2.
In the last 5 overs of Zaheer Khan in 2011 World Cup final, he leaked 44 runs, almost the opposite of his stingy initial spell. Sri Lanka upgraded from 183/5 after 40 overs to 274/6, in turn setting India a bracing target. Critics were quick to highlight this phase as a blot on an otherwise pristine tournament, yet in every good glass of wine, there is a tinge of sediment: A flat Wankhede pitch, a squared-up Jayawardene and heat and humidity wearing down the bowlers.
Zaheer’s Final: Closing Overs in the Tournament
Shedding light on the final that made headlines, Zaheer’s last 5 overs in the 2011 World Cup were not always about leaking runs. His knack for taking wickets at critical junctures usually reversed the momentum to India’s benefit. Let’s see a few of the best games:
Vs England (Group Stage): England were in firm control at the 42 over mark with 281/2 in pursuit of 339. Zaheer came back for his final 5 overs in that 2011 World Cup game, removing Ian Bell (69) with a yorker and Andrew Strauss (158) before ending up with figures of 3/64. The game was tied, thanks to his late strikes.
– West Indies (League Match): Zaheer’s last 5 overs during the 2011 World Cup encounter against West Indies, when he tore apart their middle order ended with his figures at 6-0-26-3. His reverse swing ended a dangerous partnership, limiting West Indies to 268.
— Quarter-Final vs Australia: Zaheer’s last 5 overs in the quarter-final of the 2011 World Cup while defending 260 was 10-0-53-2 (Michael Hussey, Cameron White). This endeavor eliminated the defending champions.
Incidentally, in these matches, Zaheer’s last 5 overs of the 2011 WC variant invariably put the game in India’s favour, summing up his temperament in this process that didn’t quite play out in the death overs of the final.
Importance of the Last 5 Overs
Zaheer Khan 2011 World Cup Final Spell — show his duality, his campaign. His early spells set the tone, but it was the death overs that pushed his limits. Long before the T20 era fully transformed the art of bowling, Zaheer was all about skill rather than raw pace. His failures in the final of the 2011 World Cup campaign within the last 5 overs can be attributed less to a dip in form, and more to the brilliance of Jayawardene and the conditions in the batting side’s favor.
But that shouldn’t diminish his overall effect. Zaheer’s 21 wickets had him level with Shahid Afridi as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker, and his early breakthroughs in the final left India with a fighting chance. Zaheer Khan’s final 5 overs of the 2011 World Cup might be really expensive, but that doesn’t define his legacy, rather it reminds us of the human element of sport, that even the greats experience moments of vulnerability.
Redemption Achieved
For Zaheer, it was redemption from 2003; the 2011 World Cup. So although his last five at the conclusion of the 2011 World Cup final will never be remembered with great fondness, Norfey’s earlier work was redeemed by India’s own victory, sealed in the end with a now iconic six from within the Dhoni. Zaheer didn’t steal the show — Dhoni’s 91* deservedly earned that — but Gautam Gambhir, who scored 97 in the final, later claimed that Zaheer deserved a Player of the Match award for laying the foundation.
Zaheer Khan’s last 5 overs in the 2011 World Cup may not have been his greatest hour, but his tournament as a whole was one of the greatest bowling performances in World Cup history. From a jumpy 24-year-old in 2003, to a serene figurehead in 2011, Zaheer’s transformation pulls the curtain back on what’s often the most important arc in any story, that that of frames that see greats rise from the ashes of their follies, even if his last 5 overs of the 2011 World Cup did not end in fireworks.
Today, seven years after April 4, 2025, Zaheer’s legacy lives on as an emblem of skill, commitment and the desire to change fate — one over at a time.
