Does Yuvraj, who will be 37 in 2019, fit into this scheme of things of the think-tank, especially under the ‘strict parameters’ of fitness and form?
Is Yuvraj Singh really rested or is he dropped?
Well, this has been the biggest talking point in the Indian cricket fraternity since Sunday evening.
The assumption of a possible end of Yuvraj's career began right after the national selectors announced a 15-member limited-overs squad for the upcoming five One-day Internationals (ODI) and a T20 International in Sri Lanka and the southpaw's name was missing in the list.
According to MSK Prasad, India's chief selector, it is not the end of the road for Yuvraj.
"Yuvraj Singh is rested, not dropped. We've started a policy where a set of players will be given chances for next 4-5 months," Prasad said in a press conference in Colombo On Monday.
However, he further went on to add, "Doors are not closed on Yuvraj and [Suresh] Raina, but we are laying down strict parameters for fitness for 2019 World Cup. Anyone who fails this fitness parameter will not be considered."
So, here lies the important question. Does Yuvraj, who will be 37 in 2019, fit into this scheme of things of the think-tank, especially under the 'strict parameters' of fitness and form?
Well, under the present circumstances, it doesn't seem so.
After an average outing in the ICC Champions Trophy in June and followed by a quiet tour of West Indies, Yuvraj's place was under scrutiny. Since his 32-ball 53 against Pakistan in India's first match at the Champions Trophy, Yuvraj had gone six innings without a half-century, and managed only 57 runs in his three most recent innings in the West Indies following which he was dropped from the side for the last two ODIs.
Of late, with Yuvraj and MS Dhoni around in the middle-order, running between the wickets during the middle overs had hurt India's gameplan. The duo, especially Yuvraj found strike rotation a little more difficult than usual. Make no mistake, on his day, when he is able extend his stay at the crease and go on to make up for the slow scoring with his flamboyance, the Punjab batsman looks spectacular. But, following his 150 against England at the start of this year, the veteran hasn't had such kind of a day.
However, it has been learnt that the selectors are more concerned about his fitness than form. These days, Yuvraj is not acrobatic as earlier. In fact, during Champions Trophy, at times skipper Virat Kohli literally had to hide him on the field. In one of his recent tweets, his former teammate Zaheer Khan pointed out this issue quite aptly.
I am tweeting like you @YUVSTRONG12 but why are you fielding like me ??? Hahaha https://t.co/FaPx75Kn8Q " zaheer khan (@ImZaheer) June 12, 2017
Besides, with the emergence of all-rounders like Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja, Yuvraj's utility as bowler has also been downgraded. Now-a-days, with so many bowling options around, Kohli hardly needs those 5-6 overs of slow left-arm spin from the southpaw.
Thus, this so called 'rest' was inevitable, feel many insiders. At mid-thirties, time is running out for Yuvraj and by omitting him from the squad the selectors probably showed the first definitive signs of looking beyond Yuvraj for the 2019 World Cup. Instead, they are looking to groom a fresh middle-order batsman.
>A look at the replacements
At this point of time, Manish Pandey and KL Rahul seem like the most likely candidates for the role.
Pandey, the right-handed Karnataka cricketer announced his arrival on the international arena in January last year when he scored an unbeaten 104 in Sydney ODI to take India past the finish line against Australia. Courtesy his consistency with bat in domestic circuit as well as in the Indian Premier League (IPL), Pandey has been knocking the India selection door for quite a few years now. But due to injuries and presence of Yuvraj in the line-up, he hasn't got the kind of exposure, which this talented cricketer deserves.
Pandey last played an ODI against New Zealand in October 2016 but was later sidelined due to a side strain, which he sustained during the IPL this year. However, he made a comeback in the Vijay Hazare trophy (Inter-state List A competition) and had a productive outing.
Earlier this month, he led India A to victory in the tri-series in South Africa and topped the run-charts with 307 runs in five innings, which left the selectors with no choice but to call him back.
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