Gary Kirsten coached the India national cricket team when it won the 2011 Cricket World Cup. India defeated Sri Lanka by six wickets in the final on April 2, 2011, at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium.
Kirsten, a former South African opening batsman, became India’s coach in 2008. His tenure included a strong working relationship with captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and a team featuring Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Virat Kohli and Zaheer Khan. India’s balanced batting and bowling attack carried them through a tournament co-hosted by India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
The victory was India’s second men’s ODI World Cup title, following the 1983 triumph under Kapil Dev. Kirsten left the role after the tournament and later coached South Africa. Ravi Shastri, Anil Kumble and Rahul Dravid are associated with later India coaching eras, not the 2011 championship.