'Yuvraj was not comfortable': Interesting detail revealed about Dhoni's 2011 WC decision

The 2023 Men's Cricket World Cup fixtures announcement has all the fans clearing up their schedule for the much-anticipated games. The World Cup returns to India with huge zeal, as it holds immense importance. But for the Indian fans, the 2011 World Cup was a pivotal moment. It embarked on MS Dhoni's rise as a captain, which led to him receiving worldwide fame. 

3 things you need to know

• ICC revealed the fixtures for the Men's CWC 2023 fixtures
• India would play host for this year's matches
• The Indian cricket team would have nine matches 

The 2011 World Cup had India in a peculiar zone, as batting greats like Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, and Virat Kohli failed to contribute much. But it was Gautam Gambhir who pulled up a massive knock, while MS Dhoni took care of the rest. What stood out was the former captain promoting himself in the line-up over Yuvraj Singh to come down to bat early. 

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Muralitharan shares interesting detail about Dhoni's 2011 WC decision

During the 2023 World Cup fixtures announcement, Muttiah Muralitharan opens up over Dhoni's startling decision. The Sri Lankan legend claimed that Yuvraj Singh was uncomfortable playing against him, and India was reluctant to drop wickets at that point in the game. Muralitharan mentioned:

I knew because Yuvraj (Singh) was not very comfortable to play me, although he was the best player in World Cup at that time, middle-order number four position. I knew because I was bowling a lot against him (Dhoni) in the nets in Chennai while playing in the IPL. So Dhoni knew how to play me very well. So I thought he didn't want to give any wickets to me, because I was wicketless despite bowling well. There was a lot of dew at that time and we couldn't spin the ball much. Gambhir was there at the other end, so when we got the wicket definitely I knew he will come, because he knows how to play me very well as I've played for Chennai (Super Kings).

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MS Dhoni's shocking decision turned out to be worthwhile. Team India made a strong rebound to lift their second World Cup and became the first-ever team to lift the trophy on their home soil. However, the Men in Blue have had a title drought since then, and the upcoming 2023 World Cup could be the time to bounce back into championship relevancy.