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World Cup team selection today; will Yuvraj make the cut?

Last Updated 06 January 2015, 04:22 IST

Out-of-favour Yuvraj Singh's brilliant domestic form will weigh on the selectors when they meet in Mumbai on Tuesday to pick the squads for the ODI tri-series against Australia and England, besides the World Cup next month.

Yuvraj, who was not picked even in the preliminary list of 30 probables on December 4, has since come back into contention by striking three back-to-back hundreds against Haryana, Maharashtra and Saurashtra in the Ranji Trophy.

The hard-hitting left-hander, the man of the 2011 World Cup that was won by India and scorer of over 8000 runs from 293 ODIs, also got among the wickets with his left-arm spin on the placid track in the match at Rajkot.

With there being a question mark over Ravindra Jadeja, undergoing rehabilitation for his throwing shoulder currently, Yuvraj would weigh significantly on the selectors' minds while choosing the Cup squad.

There is another player of similar style who is almost certain to be picked, Gujarat's Axar Patel, already in Australia as a late replacement for Jadeja.

It will all boil down to whether the selectors - as well as captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and coach Duncan Fletcher, who will be on conference call from Australia - feel it makes sense in putting the clock back on Yuvraj, a proven performer in the shorter formats of the game.

Yuvraj Singh was the Man of the Tournament in the 2011 World Cup which India won. At 33, Yuvraj, who did not figure in any India squad in 2014, is not too old to merit consideration, especially with doubts arising over Jadeja, who is unlikely to be fit for the triangular series in Australia commencing later this month.

The cricket board expects Jadeja to be completely fit before the February 14-March 29 mega event, which is jointly hosted by Australia and New Zealand.

"According to our assessment, Jadeja can start to train and throw with his left hand from January 7," said BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel ahead of the selection meeting.

The Saurashtra cricketer is currently undergoing rehabilitation in Chennai.
The ICC rules also do not debar the selectors from changing their mind and including a player not in the original list of probables, according to BCCI sources.

The selectors will also mull on Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who has not taken any part in the first three Tests of the four-game series now in progress against Australia, because of an injury.

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(Published 06 January 2015, 04:20 IST)

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