Yuvraj Singh in Clarke’s India team for CT
NEW DELHI : Former Australian captain Michael Clarke, who is in India commentating on the 2017 Indian Premier League, has included Yuvraj Singh in his Indian cricket team for June’s ICC Champions Trophy in UK. Neither Shikhar Dhawan nor Suresh Raina have found a place.
India are the only team not to have named their squad in the eight-team championship from June 1-18. The Board of Control for Cricket in India is currently locked in a ‘revenue-share’ war with the International Cricket Council and has held back naming the squad. India are the defending ICC Champions Trophy champions. In 2013 in UK, India, led by Mahendra Singh Dhoni, had beaten hosts England in a rain-hit final at the Oval.
NEVER-SAY-DIE SPIRIT
Yuvraj Singh, whose neversay-it’s-over attitude helps script dramatic comebacks, has been chosen by Michael Clarke in the Indian team for the ICC Champions Trophy. Clarke has probably put Yuvraj’s big-hitting and match-winning prowess over form while making this call.
But for a 62 in Sunrisers Hyderabad’s opening 2017 IPL match against Royal Challengers Bangalore, Yuvraj Singh’s performance has not been impressive. But Clarke feels “Yuvraj has earned his place” in the XI.
Australians always back the man in form. Picking Yuvraj Singh -- who has just two fifties in his last nine limited overs innings, including five IPL knocks -- thus is slightly non-Australian!
NO SHIKHAR DHAWAN
There is no place for Yuvraj’s SRH team-mate Shikhar Dhawan. The left-handed Delhi opener, who was the Man of the Tournament when India won in 2013, has lost out to Ajinkya Rahane, who Clarke feels is the right man to open the Indian innings with Rohit Sharma, another batsman who is struggling for form in IPL.
Interestingly, Shikhar Dhawan’s current form is far better than Yuvraj Singh’s. With four scores in excess of 30, Dhawan has been quite prolific for Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2017. Dhawan scored a 128 for India B in a 50-over Deodhar Trophy match vs India A in Visakhapatnam in March-end. Most players in Michael Clarke’s Indian team pick themselves. Rahane’s technique and ability to play the news moving ball has won him a place but Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma has to work on his confidence in the IPL. Lokesh Rahul’s absence will hurt India, feels Clarke, who adds in his chat with India Today that there is enough back-up to fill the slots.