"I didn't bother one bit about what was going on at the other end"- Gautam Gambhir on his mindset during World Cup-winning knock

Former Indian batter Gautam Gambhir claimed that he wasn't affected by the early wickets that fell for the Men in Blue during the 2011 World Cup final against Sri Lanka.

At the score of 31, India had lost both their legendary batters Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar, and were in deep trouble. However, Gambhir absorbed the pressure and produced a sensational knock of 97 to help his team win the World Cup.

Speaking to RevSportz, here's what Gautam Gambhir had to say about his mindset during that knock:

"I don't want to sound arrogant, but I didn't bother one bit about what was going on at the other end (wickets falling). All I was thinking was to win each and every contest and score runs on each and every delivery. If you start thinking about the occasion then you won't focus on the contest. Until I was there, I had the belief that we were going to win the World Cup."

He further added:

"Mission Accomplished. That's the job that was given to us. We were selected to win the World Cup and the selectors and the entire country believed in us. If you can't think of winning the World Cup then you shouldn't be a part of the World Cup squad."

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Gautam Gambhir doesn't regret missing the hundred

Gautam Gambhir was dismissed for 97 while trying to cut a delivery from Thisara Perera. But when asked about whether he regretted missing the century in a World Cup final, Gambhir claimed that for him, India winning the title was more important than his personal numbers.

On this, he stated:

"Absolutely not (regret missing hundred). India is a country obsessed with stats and I have never been obsessed with stats. If one night before, someone would have told me that I would score 97 and India would win the World Cup, I would have taken it. I still believe 2011 is the real World Cup as I grew up watching, and dreaming of lifting the 50-over World Cup."

Even after more than 12 years of the achievement, Gambhir's 97 is regarded as one of the finest knocks under pressure by fans.