The 2011 Cricket World Cup saw India clinch their second championship title after their iconic win in 1983. Central to this victory were the performances of Yuvraj Singh and the legendary Sachin Tendulkar.
Yuvraj Singh, who earned the title of 'Man of the Tournament', showcased an all-round brilliance with 362 runs, inclusive of a century and four half-centuries, and capturing 15 wickets. His exceptional form was acknowledged with four 'Man of the Match' awards, establishing him as the linchpin of India's successful campaign.
Sachin Tendulkar, playing his final World Cup, also delivered noteworthy contributions. Accumulating 482 runs, he stood as the tournament's second-highest run-scorer. Even though his contribution in the final match was limited to 18 runs, his cumulative performance made his teammates dedicate the victory to the 'Master Blaster'.
Despite India's eventual triumph, their journey was not without hurdles. A notable setback was their group-stage loss to South Africa, which drew significant media criticism. Yuvraj Singh shared the invaluable advice Tendulkar provided to the team to navigate this challenging phase.
Tendulkar's wisdom was simple yet effective: drown out external distractions. He advised the team to refrain from engaging with media critiques and use headphones to stay insulated from the crowd's chatter, especially during airport transits. This collective approach, as revealed by Yuvraj, proved to be a game-changer, allowing the team to focus and ultimately secure their championship crown.
"Now, distraction is a bit more because that time there was no social media. There was distraction with media and people. We were trying to focus on the game, and in the world cup, we had lost to South Africa - a game we should have won. The media started to go berserk. Sachin sat down with the team and said, 'we need to stop watching television, stop reading the papers. Use our headphones when we are going through crowds in airports. Just focus on the world cup'. The team agreed, we just followed that and it really worked," said Yuvraj, as quoted by Hindustan Times.
"Because there's anyway so much pressure. Problem with India is that, people think only Indian team will win. It's a big World Cup, there are so many good teams out there, and we got to be really focussed on your tasks at hand," he added.
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