A belated wedding gift or is it Indian cricket team’s spicy welcome for England bowler Stuart Broad? Yuvraj Singh’s return to the Indian ODI and T20 teams for the upcoming series against England has created quit a lot of talking points.
Dear Stuart Broad,
Daddy #YuvrajSingh Is Back. Better Consider Retirement.
RT If U Remember. #IndvENG #IndvsEng pic.twitter.com/PU3KPxEG4m
— Sir Ravindra Jadeja (@SirJadeja) January 6, 2017
While BCCI’s chief selector MSK Prasad explained on Friday that Yuvraj’s “good performances in the domestic season” earned him the call-up to the limited-overs squad — led by Virat Kohli with former skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni part of the squad as a wicket-keeper batsman — fans, cricket experts and former cricketers alike celebrated the stylish southpaw’s comeback with a tinge of humour.
Many looked back at Yuvraj Singh’s previous exploits against the England cricket team, and are expecting the 35-year-old to take the English bowlers to the cleaners if he features in the playing XI.
After hearing the return of Yuvraj Singh in team India.
Stuart Broad be like pic.twitter.com/lvpv7csWqE— Dr Mashoor Gulathi (@mashoor_gulathi) January 7, 2017
Goodluck @YUVSTRONG12 for the comeback!! So excited to see you smashing the England bowlers again ? #BleedBlue
— • Saloni • (@salkulfree) January 7, 2017
Old habits die hard … ur hard work has paid off and the ‘Lady Luck ‘??…..congratulations brother man @YUVSTRONG12
— Mithun Manhas (@MithunManhas) January 6, 2017
Former cricketer Sunil Gavaskar acknowledged Yuvraj Singh’s spirit and domestic performances, saying he deserved the gift from BCCI, “a belated wedding gift” to be exact. Yuvraj married actor and model Hazel Keech in December.
“Yuvraj deserves every opportunity to make a comeback. BCCI gave him a slightly belated wedding gift,” said Gavaskar, while analysing the ODI and T20 teams on NDTV.
Yuvraj Singh had a good Ranji Trophy season in 2016. He scored 672 from five matches with a highest score of 260. That’s a very healthy average of 84.
“He might not be as brilliant as he was when 21 years old but he is still an outstanding fielder,” Gavaskar added.
Yuvraj last played a ODI against South Africa in December 2013, while his last T20I appearance was in March last year.
However, the fans are sure that the long lay-off and the rather hectic wedding schedule has not tired Yuvraj and that a special treatment awaits Stuart Broad, whom Yuvi had hit for six sixes in an over during the inaugural ICC World T20 in South Africa (2007).
A few fans thought Yuvraj Singh and Ashish Nehra’s comeback is like the return of the old, demonetized 500 and 200 rupee currency notes.
Ashish Nehra and Yuvraj Singh got selected in T-20 & ODI team. It seems, BCCI is still accepting old ₹500 & ₹1000 notes.
— Sunil- The Cricketer (@1sInto2s) January 6, 2017
@VishalDadlani My feelings??..hw you feel? @msdhoni @BCCI @imVkohli @YUVSTRONG12 @virendersehwag @cricketaakash pic.twitter.com/DI6OEKqdxv
— ANKIT VARSHNEY (@imankitV) January 7, 2017
Wedding gift or a reward for the never-say-die spirit that has been the hallmark of his career, Yuvraj Singh would be hoping to make it to the playing XI against England and display some fireworks.
India play three ODIs and T20Is against England from January 15 to February 1.
Source: HindustanTimes