India vs Sri Lanka 2017: Chairman of selectors reveals why Yuvraj Singh was overlooked for T20I series
What's the story?
One of the major talking points from the Indian squad named for the upcoming T20I series against Sri Lanka was the continued exclusion of veteran batsman Yuvraj Singh. MSK Prasad, chairman of selectors, has attributed the panel's decision to the 35-year old's recurring fitness issues.
During a press conference held to reflect on the T20I squad as well as the touring contingent for the South Africa Tests, MSK Prasad asserted, "Yuvraj Singh has fitness issues. He has not played a lot of competitive cricket lately."
Earlier in the day, Yuvraj himself admitted to his recent fitness woes. On the sidelines of an interactive session pertaining to a UNICEF initiative, he affirmed, "I would like to tell that I am failing. I still fail. I failed the last three fitness tests but yesterday I passed my fitness test. After 17 years, I am still failing."
In the past...
In his previous T20I appearance, Yuvraj had hammered a sizzling 10-ball 27 in the series decider against England at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on the 1st of February.
The heart of the matter
In view of the subsequent tour of South Africa, the likes of skipper Virat Kohli, Shikhar Dhawan and Bhuvneshwar Kumar were all rested for the home T20Is against Sri Lanka. The selectors opted to infuse youngsters into the squad in the place of the experienced stars
The 15-man squad, led by Rohit Sharma, contains three uncapped players in the form of batsman Deepak Hooda, all-rounder Washington Sundar and fast bowler Basil Thampi. The trio alongside comeback man Jaydev Unadkat were all drafted into the squad on the back of their impressive performances in the 2017 IPL season.
Meanwhile, Yuvraj, who last donned the national colours in the Antigua ODI against West Indies on the 30th of June, continues to be overlooked due to his fitness issues.
What's next?
Having ostensibly cleared the Yo-Yo test at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru, the stalwart could be back in the selection committee's radar for the limited-overs leg of the South Africa tour. With the first ODI against the Proteas beginning only on February 8, he has a reasonable amount of time to prove his fitness.
Author's take
With plenty of promising batting talents available in the country, the selection panel's decision to overlook Yuvraj is the correct move. Close to turning 36, the left-hander's chances of returning to the Indian team appear to be quite slim.