Who Suggested Dhoni’s Promotion Ahead of Yuvraj in 2011 WC Final? Sachin Tendulkar Reveals
Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar has finally revealed the thought process behind MS Dhoni’s surprise promotion in the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup final against Sri Lanka.
During an AMA (Ask Me Anything) session on Reddit, a fan asked Sachin if it was indeed his idea to send Dhoni ahead of Yuvraj Singh in the batting order during the high-stakes chase at Wankhede Stadium.
India, chasing 275, was struggling at 114/3 when Dhoni walked in at No. 5. The skipper went on to play one of the most iconic knocks in Indian cricket history, scoring an unbeaten 91 off 79 balls, stitching a 109-run partnership with Gautam Gambhir, and sealing a six-wicket victory to bring the World Cup home after 28 years.
Sachin revealed there were two key reasons behind his suggestion:
- A left-right batting combination to trouble Sri Lanka’s off-spinners, Muttiah Muralitharan and Suraj Randiv.
- Dhoni’s familiarity with Muralitharan, having faced him extensively in the nets while playing for Chennai Super Kings in the IPL (2008–2010).
The decision proved to be a masterstroke, with Dhoni finishing the game in style and etching his name in cricketing folklore. For Sachin, it was the perfect farewell to his ODI World Cup journey, finishing as India’s highest run-scorer in the tournament with 482 runs, including two centuries and two fifties.
News Source : Information for this article was gathered from a variety of reliable news outlets.
