2007 T20 World Cup Final – Brothers Tale
Trivia:
Virender Sehwag had a groin injury before the T20 world cup final in 2007. Indian team management wanted him to play the match because his presence in the team would give a strong message to the opposition. However, on the match day, he was declared unfit and Yusuf Pathan replaced him. Yusuf never played any international game before and he was not prepared for the biggest surprise of his life.
Embed from Getty ImagesYusuf was unaware of his selection even in the morning of the final. He went to Gym and ran 3 to 4 kms and completed the full set of exercises. Around 11 AM team management informed him about his inclusion in the final. Yusuf called his brother Irfan to come to his room immediately. Irfan rushed to Yusuf’s room and asked the reason behind the urgent call. Yusuf informed that he got selected in place of injured Sehwag. Irfan was ecstatic and congratulated Yusuf. However, Yusuf told that he couldn’t play the game because he lost all the energy in the Gym and his legs were numb. Irfan encouraged his brother, gave him a massage and helped to stretch the legs. Thanks to brother Irfan’s treatment, Yusuf finally got ready for the match. Otherwise it would be difficult to find another replacement for Yusuf.
Yusuf provided the much-needed momentum early in the innings. India beat Pakistan by 5 runs and lifted the inaugural world T20 championship.
Embed from Getty ImagesReferences:
Featured Image Credit: vijay chennupati – Flickr: CC BY 2.0 (resized as per the need)