9 Times the middle-order won the World Cup semi-finals and finals

#8) SL vs IND – 2011 World Cup Final

M.S. Dhoni - do we need to say more?

Fans in India must have been in a state of shock when Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar fell victims to Lasith Malinga and returned to the pavilion early. At 31/2, it was Gautam Gambhir and a young Virat Kohli who laid the foundation for a big chase. While Gambhir played the role of sheet anchor, it was MS Dhoni who led from the front and put the final touches on India's World Cup win. Special mention must also go to Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina, both of whom played crucial knocks in the tournament.

#9) SA vs NZ – 2015 World Cup Semi-Final

South Africans had no clue of what had hit them

This is another match that will haunt South Africa for a long time. They wouldn’t have imagined that New Zealand could chase 299 runs in 43 overs in a high-pressure semi-final. But Grant Elliott and Cory Anderson made it possible, building a match-winning partnership of 103 runs to take New Zealand to the final of the 2015 World Cup. Elliott, who walked in at No 5, remained unbeaten on 84 to take his team past the finish line. He became a national hero for his effort.