"You will matter when it matters the most" are the words that Tendulkar told Yuvraj Singh, which served as an inspiration for the dashing all-rounder during India's World Cup triumph last year.
On the eve of India's first anniversary of the World Cup triumph, Yuvraj, who is recovering from a rare germ cell cancer, has revealed that Tendulkar had a crucial role to play in his man-of-the-series winning performance during last year's mega-event.
Yuvraj recalled that he was not in the best of form and fitness coming into the World Cup, but Tendulkar and speedster Zaheer Khan's pep talks motivated him to do something special in the quadrennial event.
"Couldn't have asked for anything better. I didn't expect myself to play as well as I did in the World Cup. I was coming with not great form and I wasn't timing the ball how I wanted to," he said in an interview posted on his twitter account about his thoughts on the World Cup anniversary.
"In my tough times, I just spoke to Sachin about my issues with batting and form and fitness and he told me that you will matter when it matters the most. That is a very special thought, it remains with me.
{{/usCountry}}"In my tough times, I just spoke to Sachin about my issues with batting and form and fitness and he told me that you will matter when it matters the most. That is a very special thought, it remains with me.
{{/usCountry}}"I remember I have a picture of me and Tendulkar together which I have put in my locker. I used to have a look at that picture and go into bat. He is my inspiration," Yuvraj said.
"Zaheer Khan also told me in Bangladesh before the World Cup about me doing something special in the World Cup. That time I was going through a bad wrist injury," he added.