Harbhajan Singh said that he played every match for the country, nor for any special player.
India won the last World Cup in 2011 at the iconic Wankhede Stadium after defeating Sri Lanka by six wickets in the final. After India’s historic win, a historic moment etched in cricket history occurred as a young Virat Kohli carried the legendary Sachin Tendulkar on his shoulders during MS Dhoni's victory lap at the packed Wankhede Stadium.
This touching gesture showed how Team India badly wanted to win the coveted trophy for their cricketing idol, Tendulkar, as he was playing his last World Cup. Tendulkar was emotional as he bid farewell to his illustrious World Cup career with the title.
Now, 12 years later, India is gearing up for another ODI World Cup in 2023 at home, and the spotlight once again falls on Virat Kohli, the talismanic leader of the Indian cricket team.
The upcoming World Cup 2023 could be Kohli’s last one, and fans nationwide hope for a similar tribute to the former Indian skipper like Tendulkar got back in 2011 in front of the home crowd.
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However, 2011 World Cup winner Harbhajan Singh has stressed that the Indian team’s focus should be on playing and winning the trophy for the country, not any individual. The former spinner also claimed that no one had earned the respect of the dressing room as much as Tendulkar since the 2011 World Cup.
Harbhajan Singh told India Today at Conclave Mumbai 2023: “There is a difference between the team of 2011 and the team of 2023. The 2011 team was united; everyone wanted to win it for Tendulkar. I don't know about the team in 2023. I doubt anyone would have earned the kind of respect that Tendulkar did. I am sure all the players now want to win the World Cup for the country but I doubt if any of the players want to win it for a particular player.”
He added, “You play for India. I have played every match for India, not for any individual. This is a great satisfaction for me. Fans wanted to pray for my success. We all pray for India to win; we never pray for Kohli or Dravid to win; we pray for India to win.”
(With India Today Inputs)