5 reasons why Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni should be dropped from India's T20 squad

With the 3^rd and final T20I set to take place between India and England in Bangalore on February 1^st 2017, there are a lot of areas of concern for the Indian cricket team as they have not looked menacing enough and have been far from their best.

They were extremely close to losing the 2^nd T20 as well until Jasprit Bumrah bailed them out in the final over of the match by conceding only 2 runs.

One of the biggest areas of concern for the Men in Blue is the form of former captain MS Dhoni and comeback man Yuvraj Singh. Despite performing well in the ODIs against England, the duo have looked far from their best in the shortest format of the game.

With the T20 World Cup only three years from now, it might make sense to nurture youngsters in order to build the ideal squad for the tournament which will be held in Australia. Hence, it might make sense to drop both Yuvraj and Dhoni from the T20 squad. With this in mind, tomorrow might be the last time we see both of them don the Indian blue for the T20 side.

In this article, we look at the five reasons why they should be dropped from the side.

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#5 Age is not on their side

Both Dhoni and Yuvraj are 35 years old and are not getting any younger. While they continue to make merry for the ODI side, their contributions towards the T20 side has deteriorated over the past few years.

As they continue to grow older, their ability to perform consistently well in both the ODI and T20 format will not remain the same as it was a few years ago. Hence, they should probably concentrate on one format, preferably the ODIs where they have been performing exceptionally well once again.

#4 Poor form in T20s

Yuvraj has not performed well in the previous few T20Is

The Dhoni-Yuvraj duo were one of the most feared duos in T20 cricket a few years ago, but over the past few years, a dip in batting form has made it easier for opposition bowlers to take on these two batsmen.

Yuvraj, who has had one of the best strike-rates for the Indian side, has had a strike rate of only 95 or so in his previous 15 innings playing for the Indian T20 side. This is extremely low for a batsman of Yuvraj’s calibre and this is something he would not be proud of.

On the other hand, Dhoni has looked far from his fearsome best in T20s and has not been able to decimate the opposition bowlers like he used to.

#3 Youngsters should be given a chance

Rishabh Pant has been in exceptional form

Despite a lot of youngsters coming into the fray over the past couple of years or so, they have not been given an opportunity to make a mark for themselves on the big stage just yet.

One such youngster, Rishabh Pant has been amazing for the Indian U-19 side and for his state Delhi in the Ranji Trophy. He has a strike rate of over 100 in the domestic circuit and average of 72, which is nothing short of sensational.

Deepak Hooda, Ishan Kishan, Sanju Samson, and a host of other youngsters have been performing exceptionally well too, but have not been given a chance as yet.

#2 Hampering team chemistry

Team chemistry is something which is extremely vital in every single team sport. Be it football, hockey, or even cricket, chemistry is something which makes a team what it is. Back in 2007, one of the main reasons for India’s exit from the 2007 World Cup was team chemistry.

Once the changes in the squad were made, the results showed as a young Indian team led by Dhoni back then lifted the inaugural World T20 held in South Africa. Hence, it would make sense to drop Yuvraj and Dhoni from the squad in order to include players who are better suited for this format of the game and improve team chemistry as well.

#1 Perfect time to step down

With the next World T20 scheduled to be held only three years from now in 2020 in Australia, it makes sense for Yuvraj and Dhoni to step down from the side in order to ensure that the ideal team is nurtured and built for the tournament.

There have also been rumours about the World T20 being held in 2018 as well, and thus youngsters like Rishabh Pant have been included in the squad for the recent T20 series against England.

With the 50-over World Cup set to be held in England in 2019, Yuvraj and Dhoni should probably put in all their effort to continue performing well for the ODI side so that they could have one last go at the World Cup.