"What Are You Saying?" Yuvraj Singh Reveals How Gary Kirsten Stumped Indian Team With Bold Promise
Gary Kirsten oversaw a period in Indian cricket during which India dominated world cricket
Gary Kirsten oversaw a period in Indian cricket during which India dominated world cricket. The dressing room at that time (2008 to 2011) consisted of cricketing giants like Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, and Zaheer Khan, as well as relatively younger superstars such as MS Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh, and Virat Kohli. Kirsten did a commendable job of holding the dressing room together and was the coach of the 2011 World Cup-winning team.
Former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh has highlighted the transformative impact of former head coach Gary Kirsten on Indian cricket, recalling how his man-management skills and belief in players played a defining role in the team's success between 2008 and 2011. Speaking to former England captain Michael Vaughan on India's white-ball growth during Kirsten's tenure from 2008 to 2011, Yuvraj reflected on the South African's arrival at a crucial phase, when India were building towards a period of sustained dominance across formats.
"I think Gary Kirsten was a big influence at that moment. Gary was a good man. We needed a good guy - that's all we wanted. Someone who said, 'Guys, let's be one on the park. Let's be together.' And Gary was very hardworking," Yuvraj said in a video shared by the Stick to Cricket podcast on Monday.
"And I think the day he came, he said that in the next four years, till the 2011 World Cup, we are going to be the number one T20 side, the number one Test side, and the number one ODI side. And a couple of guys looked at each other like, 'What are you saying?' And that's what we did in the next four years - while Australia were dominating as well. So, I think his intention was good. He is a good man, and he took Indian cricket to a different level," he added.
Kirsten's tenure coincided with one of India's most successful phases, culminating in the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup triumph and consistent top rankings across formats.
Yuvraj, one of the key architects of that era, also emphasised the coach's role in instilling confidence, noting how belief from the leadership group helped players unlock their potential.
"It's also about the confidence level of the coach, right? If I come to you and say, 'You're my match-winner. I want you to go and win the game for me. I don't care how many failures you've had - just go and win the game,' then suddenly your mindset switches. You feel that the team and the coach believe in you, that they want you to go and win the game and have confidence in you. And Gary always told me, 'You're a game-changer.' He said, 'If you bat for 20-25 overs, you're going to change the game. Go do that.'
"Even in whatever Test cricket I played, he told me the same: 'Go and play your game. If you do that, you're going to win for India.' That gave me a lot of confidence to go out and bat," the all-rounder added.
Under Kirsten's guidance, players like Yuvraj flourished in clearly defined roles, with the coach's emphasis on unity, clarity, and belief becoming central to India's rise as a dominant force in world cricket.
With IANS inputs
Sachin Tendulkar
Yuvraj Singh
MS Dhoni
India Cricket Team