Why Yuvraj should play every match this T20 World Cup

COLOMBO, SRI LANKA – SEPTEMBER 28: Yuvraj Singh of India bats during the ICC World Twenty20 2012 Super Eights Group 2 match between Australia and India at R. Premadasa Stadium on September 28, 2012 in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

After India’s defeat in their last match against Australia, former players Ravi Shastri and Sanjay Manjrekar have come out and questioned Yuvraj Singh‘s hasty comeback after recovering from a rare form of lung cancer.

Well I agree that Sehwag should be brought back to the opener’s spot immediately and when you have a middle order fully packed with big hitters, playing Irfan Pathan as the opener was a very odd decision but if Sehwag comes back, should Yuvraj be the one to go out?

I don’t think so.

Yuvraj has been always a man for the big occasion. Right before the ODI World Cup in 2011, he was going through a really bad patch, but Dhoni kept faith in him and Yuvraj bounced back at the right time. He took a number of wickets, scored a century against the West Inidies and notched up a couple of fifties in the group matches, but his 57 notout against Australia in the quarter final is a memorable innings which changed the fate of India in the World Cup in a big way.

At 187/5 when the usually reliable Dhoni was also dismissed, Yuvraj had a huge task to complete and he made sure India reach the target with some help from Suresh Raina. When India won the finals, Yuvraj was rightly named the Man of the Tournament. Two other occassions where Yuvraj has shone that easily come to mind are the six sixes in an over in a T20 2007 World Cup match and the brilliant knock (both against England) in the famous 2002 Natwest Trophy final where he and Mohammad Kaif took out India from dire straits at 146/5 to chase 326 successfully.

COLOMBO – SEPTEMBER 30: (L-R) Mohammad Kaif, Jai Prakash Yadav, Sourav Ganguly, Virender Sehwag and Yuvraj Singh with the trophy after the re-scheduled ICC Champions Trophy final between Sri Lanka and India at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, Sri Lanka on September 30, 2002.

This most important aspect of Yuvraj’s character where he reserves his best for the big occasions and when the side is in a pressure situation is one reason to keep him in the side even if he is not a hundred percent fit. Another reason is that he now merits the place purely as a bowler alone. Everyone knows, that had it not been for Yuvraj’s three wickets in the group match against Afghanistan, India would have lost easily where all other full-time bowlers had endured getting hit by the minnow’s batsmen.

Yuvraj was again the lone wicket-taker when India were hammered by England.

So even if Yuvraj fails to bring in runs when he bats, he more than makes up for it when he is bowling. And with the form the other bowlers are currently in, to keep Yuvraj out would be a huge mistake.

Yuvraj has served India for many years in the ODI and T20 formats and has contributed with wonderful knocks but is a player who was never lucky enoguh to step into the Test team because stalwarts like Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and Vangipurappu Laxman played in the same era.

COLOMBO, SRI LANKA – SEPTEMBER 19: Yuvraj Singh of India bowls during the ICC World Twenty20 2012: Group A match between India and Afghanistan at R. Premadasa Stadium on September 19, 2012 in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

In comparison, young lads like Suresh Raina and Virat Kohli have been lucky to get into the team after these legends retired. For a person who is the architect of both India’s 2007 T20 World Cup and 2011 ODI World Cup triumphs, Yuvraj definitely deserves more chances. Even after performing well as a bowler alone, it hurts when former players and critics continue to say his return is purely emotional.

Yuvraj has made one of the greatest comebacks in sports history after fighting such a life-threatening disease and he is a great match winner, a great warrior.

Lets not dispirit him. He will produce a great knock on a day when India need it most.