The Story:
Yuvraj Singh’s exclusion from the squad for the upcoming ODI series against Sri Lanka has added more fuel to the debate surrounding the future of the southpaw. Yuvi attracted criticism following his poor performances in the Champions Trophy 2017. The question regarding his value in the team and his ability to keep up with the competition from youngsters till the 2019 World Cup has quickly gained more steam raising a legitimate worry about India’s middle order combination.
Deep Dasgupta’s view
When asked if Yuvraj Singh has met his end of his ODI career, Deep Dasgupta, the former India cricketer who si now an expert with the ESPNcricinfo, said:
“The selectors are looking forward to the marquee event which is approaching which is the World Cup. They have started to prepare for it. The selectors are sending a sign that this what the nucleus of the team will likely be. And, unfortunately, Yuvraj Singh is not in the scheme of things.”
“But, again, the domestic season is coming up and Yuvraj had a fabulous time last year to make a comeback. It’s always a positive sign. The youngsters should also grab their opportunities.”
As of now, there is no shortage of batsmen for Team India with viable options readily available for any kind of experiment with the XI. But, Deep Dasgupta points out that the selectors have surely hinted that they are prioritising certain names, who could be useful in the longer term, over others.
“Rahul and Manish Pandey made runs in South Africa playing or the “A” team. KL Rahul is now available. So it becomes very hard to fix a set of players.”
“Looking into the future, another year and a half, I think the selectors are looking at other options.”
MS Dhoni still irreplaceable
MS Dhoni retains his place in the squad but Rishabh Pant has been excluded. This fact made many wonders about the thought process of the selectors. While the retaining Dhoni not a bad idea at all, excluding Pant certainly creates doubts.
“It’s a sign from selectors that Pant needs a little more time.”
“There is a system now. There is a selector who is in South Africa, one is in India, There is a lot of communication happening there now.”
“Yes, he got a chance recently. He played T20s in West Indies but was not a part of the A” squad which played in South Africa.”
I am not worried about Pant’s wicket keeping skills. We see a lot of talent and potential in him. but, we should not get too excited after watching the young players.