Former Indian all-rounder Yuvraj Singh has backed Abhishek Sharma’s inclusion in India’s ODI squad amid the tour of New Zealand. Sharma recently scored 197 runs in five T20Is against the Kiwis at an average of 39.40 and a strike rate of 223.86 but he is currently not part of the ODI squad.
Abhishek has scored 2196 runs in 69 List A matches at an average of 33.78 and he has certainly impressed in his T20I career so far. Yuvraj has observed Abhishek from close quarters and has played a key role in his success at the top level.
Yuvraj Singh told Cricbuzz, “There are always areas to improve, and I think unless you give a player a chance, where is he going to showcase his talent? I understand that the situation is difficult right now because there is so much competition for places in the squad, along with some big names. But look at Suryavanshi. He was brilliant and made his own place in the T20 squad. If you feel that Abhishek is performing brilliantly at the moment, then somewhere you have to make a place for him to play 50-over cricket until the World Cup.”
“Whether he has scored 35, 100 or 31, 100, the point is that he has been performing consistently in white-ball cricket for a very long time. What more does he need to do to get into the ODI squad? I don’t know. Maybe he needs to contribute more with his bowling and fielding. But that will only happen if he gets an opportunity to play.”
On the other hand, the 2011 World Cup star added it would be too early to say if Abhishek has leadership qualities.
“Well, it’s too early to say whether he has the makings of a captain, but I feel he has all the qualities of a leader. I think he encourages the younger guys in state cricket as well. If you want to captain India one day, I think it’s important to captain your IPL side. That gives you the kind of confidence you need to lead India,” said Yuvraj (via the aforementioned source).
Abhishek would look to carry his rich form.
