Should the BCCI consider a recall for Yuvraj Singh?
India has been thriving in the recent past but their middle order is not swimming in the same pond of excellent form. The middle order is the backbone of any batting side and that of the Indian team seems to be feeble right now. When the top order has failed, the middle order has failed to steady the ship on most occasions. The middle order consists of big names with great reputation backing them, but big names are not enough to score big runs.
MS Dhoni is evidently past his prime and expecting runs from him has time and again opened doors for disappointments. In fact, he is doing a big favour by continuing to play and by extending his wicket-keeping services to the team. Kedar Jadhav was hitting big and far initially. Many quoted him as the next big thing but his inconsistency and poor fielding have made him a liability.
Manish Pandey doesn't look to have enough patrons to get him to the playing XI and somehow he is always in the squad but never in the playing XI. Hardik Pandya is a good all-rounder but he still needs to prove himself reliable as a batsman.
With the approaching ICC World Cup 2019, the selectors need to give a serious thought of including Yuvraj Singh in the team for strengthening the middle order further. Yuvraj was a significant member of the Indian team in the inaugural 2007 T20 World Cup and who can forget his heroics in the 2011 World Cup? He was the player of the tournament and was unstoppable despite a chronic cough and blood vomits due to cancer.
Yuvraj's handy slow left-arm bowling is still deceptive and is capable of taking key wickets. His availability as a bowler adds another option for the skipper. He may not be as young as his peers but his fast feet and athleticism can put the young fielding brigade to shame. His understanding of the game makes him wiser, which the youngsters can heavily benefit from.
Yuvraj Singh is also the perfect asset Indian team is looking for to make its batting richer. Yuvraj Singh is indeed a champion, a knight in shining armour, waiting to unleash whatever good is left in him.
His recent form and positive stroke play in the ongoing Vijay Hazare trophy is a promise of an optimist future for the southpaw. His innings of 51 runs against Baroda on a difficult pitch proves his mettle in testing situations. Yuvraj's natural inclination to attack the bowlers makes him a dangerous contender for the finisher's role that India has been missing all along.
BCCI and selectors must understand that Yuvraj Singh is a player of big occasions and is hungrier than ever now. With not much time left, it will be wise to take Yuvraj Singh's viable case into consideration. After all the glory he has won for India, the most the selectors can do, is take a unanimous decision to give the man from Punjab a chance and wait for him to repay the faith put in him by the management. In Ricky Ponting’s words, "Never write a champion off!"