The 2014 T20 World Cup was one of the few blips in Yuvraj Singh’s illustrious career. Yuvraj was India’s star player in the 2007 T20 World Cup and the Player of the Tournament in the 2011 ODI World Cup, both of which India won to write their own chapters in cricket history. However, his slow-playing innings against Sri Lanka in the 2014 T20 World Cup final were widely panned. And now, eight years later, Yuvraj has spoken out about the pressure he felt throughout the tournament, as well as the lack of support from the management. He went on to say that many players, such as MS Dhoni, have now been fortunate enough to receive management support near the end of their careers.
Yuvraj recalled on Sports18’s Home of Heroes that he was low on confidence throughout the tournament as a result of his performance, and that he was worried he might be dropped from the team.
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“I had a lot of doubts during the T20 World Cup in 2014.” There was a sense that I might be fired. It’s not an excuse, but I didn’t have enough team support. “I was in Duncan’s era when Gary passed away, and things had completely changed in the team,” Yuvraj said.
“When the final came around, I just couldn’t hit the ball,” he continued. I tried but failed to hit the off-spinner, so it went for dots. I tried to get out, but I couldn’t…. After that, everyone assumed my career was over. My career, too, seemed to be coming to an end. But such is life. That is something you must accept. If you accept your victories, you must also accept your defeats and move forward.”
Few players, according to the former India cricketer, have been as fortunate as Dhoni in finding support in Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri, who accompanied him to the 2019 World Cup. After 2011, he admitted, the Indian dressing room changed, and many great players such as Virender Sehwag and VVS Laxman struggled to find support from the management.
“Having the support of the coach and captain definitely helps,” Yuvraj said.
“Take a look at Mahi (MS Dhoni) when he was nearing the end of his career. Virat and Ravi Shastri backed him up completely. They took him to the World Cup, where he played until the final whistle and went on to play 350 games in total. I believe that support is crucial, but in Indian cricket, not everyone will receive it.
“Great players like Harbhajan Singh, Virender Sehwag, VVS Laxman, and Gautam Gambhir haven’t gotten that” (support). How will you concentrate and bat and give your best when the axe is hanging over your head while you’re out there batting? It’s not an excuse, but with different coaches, it’s possible.
