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Virender Sehwag reveals one line frequently used by MS Dhoni during the 2011 World Cup

28 Sep, 2023 By Editor

In exactly 10 days from now, Team India will be kick-starting their World Cup campaign and the fans believe there won’t be a better opportunity for the Men in Blue to try and get back the hallowed silverware after a staggering 12 years. The last time India won the World Cup was back in 2011 when they triumphed over Sri Lanka in the grand finale at Wankhede to emerge as the champions.

With the conditions being favourable for the Men in Blue, it is expected that they will try and put their best foot forward in a serious bid to emulate the 2011 heroics. Talking about the 2011 heroics, there is a lore that now exists in place. Countless tales of rise and toils deluge that prized Indian dressing room.

Highlighting one such tale of inspiration, Virender Sehwag revealed an iconic line uttered by MS Dhoni in the dressing room that stood out for the Men in Blue.

Talking on Cricbuzz, Sehwag said, “When we had a team meeting, we decided we won't read newspapers, and don't listen to outside noise. Anything which can add to pressure, we won't do. It had become a rule and almost everyone genuinely followed that. We stayed together, we tried to enjoy and do team-building exercises. Because it's easy to drift apart in long tournaments such as these. Gary Kirsten and MS Dhoni ensured that we stayed together.”

He further added, “Before and after matches, we had get-togethers. And we used to mostly talk about cricket. On dinners, cricket strategies used to be a topic. I used to give suggestions. That was a big reason behind our World Cup win. Of course, we had pressure. Whether we were on flight, the CISF personnel, in the hotel, the managers and waiters... everyone kept saying, 'win the World Cup.’”

Sehwag concluded by saying the magic line that made all the difference, “But MS Dhoni has this one line, 'focus on the process'. Our process was good, that's why we won.”