Former Indian all-rounder Yuvraj Singh believes that in-form Indian pacer Mohammed Shami deserves to win the Player of the Tournament award for his brilliant performance in the ongoing ODI World Cup 2023 on home soil. The 33-year-old has been a standout bowler for the Indian team, taking numerous wickets for their side in the mega event.
At the beginning of the ODI World Cup, Mohammed Shami was not a lock to start since the management thought Shardul Thakur and Ravichandran Ashwin would be the better choice given their ability to bat at the lower down the order.
In six games, he has taken 23 wickets at an average of 9.13 including a match-winning spell of 7/57 in the semifinals against New Zealand.
Speaking to Sportstak, Yuvraj Singh feels that Mohammed Shami has been the biggest match-winner for India in the ongoing ODI World Cup and believes that he deserves to win the Player of the Tournament award for the kind of influence he has had on the squad since making his way back into the starting 11.
“India always had match-winners on the bench. I won’t say Hardik’s injury was a blessing in disguise, but everyone was waiting to see how Shami would perform, and the way he has set the stage on fire has been outstanding. I feel if anyone deserves the Player of the Tournament award, it’s Mohammed Shami,” Yuvraj Singh said.
The right arm-pacer was brought in the absence of Hardik Pandya and impressed everyone with a match-winning performance throughout the tournament. Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, and Mohammed Siraj proved that India’s bowling attack was one of the best attacks in the mega event.
Rohit Sharma And Rahul Dravid Have A Chance To Get Their First World Cup Medal – Yuvraj Singh
Yuvraj Singh feels Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid will get a golden opportunity to win their maiden ODI World medal and that the Indian team has benefited from the return of Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, and Jasprit Bumrah, who have made an impact by entering the playing 11 after a brief injury.
“Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid have a chance to get their first World Cup medal. They deserve it. Before the Asia Cup, we were wondering where the Indian ODI team was because we didn’t know the combination. However, the return of Iyer, Rahul, and Bumrah certainly made a difference,” Yuvraj Singh added.
The team led by Rohit Sharma will enter the final of the competition with great momentum, winning all their games in dominating fashion. The Men in Blue will be one of the favourites to win the championship, as they have almost met all the requirements needed to win the event.