5 Masterstrokes by MS Dhoni-The Captain

#4 The idea to utilise Yuvraj as an all-rounder at the 2011 World Cup

Yuvraj enjoyed a stellar 2011 ICC World Cup

Yuvraj Singh had a troubled time leading up to the 2011 World Cup. The left-hander, who had played a major role in India’s World T20 triumph, was struggling to find fluency with the bat. Thus, his place in the team for the 2011 World Cup came under the scanner.

Dhoni, however, knew that he couldn’t afford to drop Yuvraj from his XI for the World Cup, considering the latter’s ability to turn up in the big games. Hence, Dhoni started giving Yuvraj confidence as a bowler and cultivated him to become the fifth bowler for the team.

Yuvraj ended the World Cup as the Player of the Tournament and shone with both bat and ball. Initially, he pulled his weight courtesy his accurate left-arm spin. However, towards the business end, he started chalking up the ‘big’ innings.

He masterfully dismantled Australia in the quarterfinals, when the team looked in disarray. India’s World Cup could’ve panned out very differently had Yuvraj not been a part of it.

Though the southpaw deserves enormous credit for coming up with the goods, the vision showcased by Dhoni deserves a mention as well. Thus, it makes our list at No. 4.