BCCI Selectors Almost Dropped Yuvraj Singh From 2011 WC Squad: 'Dhoni Was...'

BCCI Selectors Almost Dropped Yuvraj Singh From 2011 WC Squad: 'Dhoni Was...'

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Last Updated: July 18, 2025, 18:15 IST

Gary Kirsten revealed BCCI selectors debated Yuvraj Singh's inclusion in India's 2011 World Cup squad. Kirsten and Dhoni were keen on Yuvraj, who became Player of the Tournament.

Yuvraj Singh (left) and Virat Kohli. (AFP Photo)

India’s 2011 World Cup-winning coach, Gary Kirsten, has revealed that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) selectors heavily debated the selection of Yuvraj Singh, saying it was ‘flipping close’. Kirsten said he and captain MS Dhoni were ‘very keen’ to have him in, and their choice prevailed.

Yuvraj was the Player of the Tournament as India ended their 28-year-long drought of an ICC ODI World Cup title, kicking off a new wave of fandom for the sport in the country. The left-hander from Punjab scored 362 runs in eight innings at an average of over 90 while also picking 15 wickets with his part-time spin with an economy rate of just over five.

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His exploits included three consecutive 50s in the groups stages, a match-winning fourth against Australia in the quarter-final and a century against the West Indies in between. He did all that while suffering from cancer, which was only diagnosed after the tournament ended.

“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. 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," Kirsten told Rediff.com.

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Kirsten also gave insights into his relationship with Yuvraj and the work that the team’s strength and mental conditioning coach, Paddy Upton, did with him.

“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. But there was a journey he had to walk, and credit to Paddy," added Kirsten. “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," Kirsten added.

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First Published: July 18, 2025, 18:10 IST

News cricket BCCI Selectors Almost Dropped Yuvraj Singh From 2011 WC Squad: 'Dhoni Was...'

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