Yuvraj Singh's spot wasn't guaranteed in 2011 World Cup: Gary Kirsten

Former India head coach Gary Kirsten recently opened up about the internal debate surrounding Yuvraj Singh’s selection ahead of the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup. According to Kirsten, there were genuine doubts over whether the left-hander should make the final squad. However, both he and then-captain MS Dhoni strongly backed Yuvraj, a decision that would go on to become one of the most defining in Indian cricket history.

India went on to lift the World Cup, ending a 28-year title drought with a memorable six-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the final at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium. Yuvraj emerged as the Player of the Tournament, delivering a stellar all-round performance by scoring 362 runs and claiming 15 wickets. Kirsten admitted that while the flamboyant batter could be frustrating at times, he always enjoyed watching him play.

"I was always very fond of Yuvraj. He used to frustrate the hell out of me sometimes, but I just loved him. He was good. I just wanted him to be scoring runs all the time because watching him bat was amazing," Kirsten said to Rediff.com.

Kirsten also credited mental conditioning coach Paddy Upton for playing a pivotal role in preparing Yuvraj for the tournament, both physically and mentally. Yuvraj batted in eight innings during the tournament and delivered consistently, averaging an impressive 90.50. His run tally included one century and four fifties.

"There was a journey he had to walk, and credit to Paddy. Paddy did a lot of work with Yuvi to get him ready. Yuvi himself made some key decisions to prepare for the World Cup," Kirsten said.

One of Yuvraj’s standout performances in the 2011 World Cup came against the West Indies in Chennai, where he scored a superb 113 off 123 balls. In the high-pressure quarterfinal against defending champions Australia in Ahmedabad, he anchored the chase with an unbeaten 57, guiding India into the semi-finals.

With the ball, Yuvraj was equally impactful, claiming 15 wickets at an average of 25.13. His best bowling figures of 5 for 31 came against Ireland, and he picked up two wickets each in all three knockout matches. Over the course of his career, Yuvraj represented India in 304 ODIs, scoring 8,701 runs, including 14 centuries and 52 fifties. Yet, it is his performance in the 2011 World Cup that remains a golden chapter cherished by fans and etched in Indian cricket history forever.