Yuvraj Was Almost Dropped For 2011 WC, Says Kirsten. Here's What Dhoni Said

India's 2011 World Cup-winning coach Gary Kirsten has made a massive revelation. He has said that all-rounder Yuvraj Singh, who turned out to be the Player of the Series in the quadrennial event, was not a certainity in the team that was set to be picked for it. Yuvraj had a dull 2010, but as fate would have it, he was trusted and picked for the World Cup next year. He repaid the faith by playing an intrumental role in India winning the title. Yuvraj scored 362 runs while also picking 15 wickets in the tournament. MS Dhoni-led India defeated Sri Lanka in the summit clash of the tournament by 6 wickets as the side lifted the World Cup after 28 years.

"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.

Kirsten revealed that he and the then India captain Dhoni both were keen to have the all-rounder in the team.

"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," the ex-India coach 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.

Kirsten also said that Paddy Upton, then India's mental conditioning and strategic leadership coach, too played a role in helping Yuvraj reach his best.

"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," Kirsten said.

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