It was a great day for all the fans of Yuvraj Singh as the southpaw smashed a half-century in his IPL debut for the Mumbai Indians. His selection was a debatable one but he didn’t disappoint the spectators of the Wankhede Stadium. Though Delhi Capitals went on to beat Mumbai Indians quite convincingly in the end, it was Yuvraj Singh who kept Mumbai Indians in the game with some powerful hitting.
When Yuvraj Singh looks in song he never scores ugly runs and today was no different. He smashed 3 big sixes of the spinners en route to his half-century. He struggled in some parts of his innings and it is quite understandable given the fact that he hasn’t played enough competitive cricket in the last few months. Last year he only played a few games for the Kings XI Punjab and returned with mediocre scores.
Chasing a mammoth target of 214 runs, Mumbai Indians were always going to be under the pump from the outset. Rohit Sharma and Quinton de Kock got MI off to a steady start. However the required rate kept going up and eventually, it was a tall task for Mumbai. Krunal Pandya struck a few lusty blows in an attempt to get closer to the target. However, it was Delhi Capitals who prevailed by 37 runs and started of their IPL 12 campaign with a victory.
After the end of the match, Yuvraj Singh spoke about his knock and some of the other facets of his game. Yuvi further gave his views on Rasikh Salam Dar, the 17-year-old boy from Jammu and Kashmir and lauded Rishabh Pant for a sensational knock.
Yuvraj Singh reveals his tactic for his debut game for the Mumbai Indians
“I just tried to take my time. Wickets were falling on the other end. Happy the way I was hitting the ball but most important is winning the game. We’ll learn from our mistakes. 215 was quite a match-winning score. Delhi has got good bowlers too. We couldn’t get our partnerships in,” Yuvraj Singh said after DC registered a comprehensive 37 runs victory.
Delhi Capitals scored a mammoth score of 214 runs in their allotted 20 overs and it was largely possible due to some audacious hitting by Rishabh Pant. The southpaw showed why he is one of the promising young talents as he smashed a whirlwind 78 off just 27 deliveries which were studded with 7 delightful fours and sixes each.
When asked about whether Rishabh Pant deserves a place in the World Cup team, Yuvraj Singh said he cannot comment on select but the youngster played brilliantly.
Yuvraj Singh speaks on Rishabh Pant and Rasikh Salam Dar
“I can’t really talk about selection but Rishabh Pant played really well,” Yuvraj Singh said.
Meanwhile speaking about Rasikh Dhar, Yuvraj said that all the members of the team were impressed after seeing the youngster bowl in the nets. Yuvraj believes the teenager handled himself brilliantly in front of a massive crowd.
“The day Rasikh came in the nets, everybody was impressed. He got hit for a six and a four on his last two balls but apart from that, he was very good. He handled himself well in front of a massive crowd,” Yuvraj said.
Yuvraj revealed that he has been taking tips from none other than Sachin Tendulkar who has played a huge part in Yuvraj’s life. The southpaw feels that Sachin Tendulkar was also in a similar situation and can help him come out of this situation.
“Till the time I enjoy playing the game, I will play. When the time comes, I will be the first one to hang my boots. I’ve been talking to Sachin as well. He’s been through this phase. So talking to him definitely helps,” Yuvraj further added.