Yuvraj Singh urges Team India to give Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli clarity over World Cup plans

Yuvraj Singh has urged India's team management to clearly communicate its World Cup plans to Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, saying senior players deserve clarity. He also backed giving Yashasvi Jaiswal more opportunities and called for patience during India's transition phase.

Hyderabad: Former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh says that Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma should have clarity from the coach, captain and selectors, whoever it is, that they want the duo to be in the World Cup.

“”I have been in that position, which Rohit and Virat find themselves in. So, it’s not fair for us to judge whether they should play. It’s the team management, the coach and the selectors who have to decide that,” Yuvraj said on the JioStar special show.

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“If you want them to play the World Cup, you have to put your hand on their shoulders and tell them, ‘Guys, we want you to play the World Cup. We are backing you all the way. Go out there and be yourselves. There is no stress that tomorrow, if you don’t have a good series, that you’re not going to be in the team,” Yuvraj said.

“You need to have that clarity from the coach, captain and selectors, whoever it is. Because I did not have that clarity, and I thought that was not good for someone who had represented India for so many years. Obviously, Virat and Rohit are of such stature, given what they’ve contributed and what they’ve given to the game. So, it’s important to give them that clarity about what we want from them,” the 2011 World Cup winning team member said.

On the importance of clear communication from the team management, Yuvraj said: “ “Ideally, you need a balance of experience and young guys in the team. If Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are part of your plans for the World Cup, tell them now and secure them. The outside noise about age and form will always be there, but the management must have clarity with its senior players. And if someone isn’t in your plans, be honest with them.”

“ It will be a hard call, it might look bad on the outside, but they’ll appreciate that you said it to their face. What Virat and Rohit have done for India is unmatched; the hundreds they’ve scored, the matches they’ve won and their contribution as players and captains is unbelievable. But you need to have clarity with your seniors,” he said.

On Yashasvi Jaiswal, Yuvraj said: “From a player’s point of view, it hurts when you’re not there. From another perspective, you can understand that maybe they wanted younger players.”

“ At that time, there were Dhoni and I, both 36 or 37, going into the World Cup, and the team management had to make a decision. More than Virat and Rohit, my concern is that Yashasvi Jaiswal, who has scored two hundreds in the last four games, is not starting,” he said.

“If the World Cup comes and he hasn’t had enough game time, he’s suddenly going to feel the pressure. Somewhere down the line, he needs more game time before the World Cup if he is in the plans. If someone gets injured, then what do you do? We’ve seen that happen before. In the 2019 World Cup, an injury meant two young players came in without enough experience. You don’t want to make the same mistakes of the past,” he explained.

On India’s decision to leave out Kuldeep Yadav in the third ODI and his assessment of the team’s tour of the UK, Yuvraj said: “When things aren’t going well, you start getting confused about whether to play fast bowlers or spinners. It would have been good to play a spinner, but at the end of the day, it’s the team’s call. You’ve won the Champions Trophy, you’ve won back-to-back T20 World Cups, and now you’ve lost six T20Is in a row.”

“ Somewhere down the line, the game levels everyone, and nobody is bigger than the game. That’s how the game reminds us of that. We need to understand it and accept the criticism. At the same time, people shouldn’t forget what this Indian team has achieved over the last couple of years, winning three major titles. The team is in transition, new players are coming in, and phases like these are bound to happen. Now it’s time to rethink and bounce back,” he reasoned out.