Watch: After the 2014 T20 World Cup Debacle, When Captain Dhoni Defended Yuvraj Singh
The recent World Cup campaign of Team India resembled that of 2014, when they lost to Sri Lanka in the finals of the fifth T20 World Cup. After dominating the group stage, the Men in Blue succumbed to a six-wicket defeat as the Lankan Lions clinched their maiden T20 World Cup title after two unsuccessful attempts.
Legendary batting all-rounder Yuvraj Singh disappointed India to the core, scoring a sloth-paced 21-ball 11 as India crawled to a paltry 130 in 20 overs despite a fighting 58-ball 77 from Virat Kohli. In reply, Sri Lanka chased the total in 17.5 overs, riding on a flamboyant half-century from Kumar Sangakkara.
After the game, Yuvraj received massive backlash for his poor performance in the ultimate face-off. However, the then-Indian skipper, MS Dhoni, defended the stylish southpaw in the post-match press conference.
Watch the video here.
While speaking to the media during India's World Cup final debacle, Dhoni explained how Yuvraj was trying his best to accelerate during the slogovers. He also stated that players feel more disappointed than the fans whenever the team fails to jump the final hurdle. Dhoni's courageous act of standing by one of his teammates during adversity signified why he is highly spoken of when it comes to leadership.