Top 5 knocks played by Gautam Gambhir

#2 97 vs Sri Lanka in the 2011 World Cup final, India

Gambhir stitched together vital partnerships with Kohli and Dhoni

A World Cup final, that too in India. A match against neighbors Sri Lanka, who had inflicted so much pain just four years ago, at the 2007 World Cup.

The stage was set for India to not only take revenge but create history for themselves. But Sri Lanka on their part scored a very competitive total on a good batting track. And when both Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag walked back to the pavilion very early in the innings, there was suddenly enormous pressure on the hosts.

If it wasn't for the two crucial partnerships that Gambhir stitched together with Virat Kohli (a future star in his own right) and MS Dhoni, then India's innings could easily have folded.

Although Gambhir missed out on a hundred in a World Cup final, at the end of the day he had done the job.