Published: Jul 19, 2025, 11:16 AM (IST)
Edited: Jul 19, 2025, 11:16 AM (IST)
Coach Gary Kirsten, who led India to the 2011 World Cup title, made a massive revelation. Gary revealed that all-rounder Yuvraj Singh was not a guaranteed pick for the squad. Although Yuvraj had a dull 2010, he earned the Player of the Series award for his World Cup performance. Yuvraj repaid the team management’s trust with a spectacular show, scoring 362 runs and taking 15 wickets that helped India win the title.
“Thank goodness we picked him because it was flipping close, he was. It was not a slam-dunk selection. The selectors kind of debated around the 15 players,” Kirsten told Rediff.com.
Gary Kirsten also spoke about how both MS Dhoni, the captain at the time, and himself wanted the all-rounder in their team as he had enormous experience under his belt.
“I was very keen to have him in the team as was Dhoni, because of the experience that he brought to the group. And look at the World Cup he ended up having,” Gary said.
“I was always very fond of Yuvraj. We had this kind of great relationship where like, he used to frustrate the hell out of me sometimes, but I just loved him. He was good. I just want him to be scoring runs all the time because when I watch him bat, it’s just like amazing to watch,” he added.
Also, Kirsten credited Paddy Upton, who was India’s mental conditioning and strategic leadership coach at the time, as he played a major role in helping Yuvraj succeed.
“But there was a journey he had to walk and credit to Paddy (Upton). Paddy did a lot of work with Yuvi to get him ready for that World Cup. Yuvi himself made some key decisions around getting himself prepared and ready for the World Cup,” said the former India coach.
Yuvraj Singh’s redemption story became a defining theme of India’s 2011 World Cup triumph – a testament to believing, preparing, and never giving up on him.
