5 reasons why Yuvraj Singh made a comeback into the Indian ODI team

Indian fans finally got what they were all waiting for as Yuvraj Singh was picked for the upcoming ODI and T20I series against England. The 35-year-old all-rounder last played for India in March 2016 but will be present in India’s last two limited-overs series before the ICC Champions Trophy.

While the fans might have got what they wanted, critics will claim that the selection of a 35-year-old who last played an ODI in December 2013 against South Africa is a step in the wrong direction ahead of a major tournament.

Extra Cover: India vs England 2016: Yuvraj Singh, R Ashwin back in both ODI and T20I squads

But the current group of selectors led by MSK Prasad have shown that they pick teams on the basis of performance rather than past history, so let us take a look at why the veteran all-rounder might have been picked for the ODI side.

Here are 5 reasons why Yuvraj Singh made a comeback into the Indian ODI team:

#1 Experience

No player in the current Indian side has played more ODIs than Yuvraj Singh, not even MS Dhoni. With 293 ODIs to his name, there can be little doubting the amount of experience that Yuvraj Singh brings to the table and that might have been one of the major reasons behind his selection.

Over 8,000 runs and 100 wickets cement his legacy as one of India’s finest all-rounders and among the best middle-order batsman to have played ODIs and his wealth of experience will be a huge boost to the middle-order which is still relatively inexperienced despite the presence of Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni.

While it is true that he hasn't played an ODI for India since 2013 and has only represented the country in T20Is since then, he has shown with his performances in this year’s Ranji Trophy that he is still more than capable of playing a long innings.

#2 Impressive form in domestic circuit

Going back to domestic cricket after you have been a regular in the international side for a decade is not easy but that is precisely what Yuvraj Singh did. And that is something that has paid dividends for the southpaw as he has earned his spot through sheer volume of runs.

"We should appreciate the way Yuvi has played in domestic cricket. He played some fantastic innings, he got a double hundred, he got 180 in the Lahli wicket. We appreciate it and have given him a chance,” Chairman of selectors MSK Prasad said.

Two centuries and two fifties in just five first-class matches in this year’s Ranji Trophy including his career-best score only highlights the rich vein of form that Yuvraj has been in and the fact that he is fit enough to play long innings if needed.

#3 Provides flexibility in the batting order

Virat Kohli is in the form of his life and despite the injury to Rohit Sharma (who is likely to be back for the Australia series), India have a settled top three but the rest of the batting order is still short on experience. And with MS Dhoni likely to play at No.4, India’s need for a finisher in the middle-order who can provide some flexibility.

Capable of playing anywhere between No.4 to No.6, the presence of Yuvraj Singh gives India the option of going with a specialist batsman or an all-rounder to follow him. With Dhoni likely to play at No.4 and Manish Pandey at No.5, the presence of the southpaw gives India a brilliant finisher.

With Dhoni, Pandey and Yuvraj, India have three players who can move around in the middle-order depending on the situation and that is even before mentioning Hardik Pandya who is likely to come in at No.7 and provide the final flourish.

#4 Planning for Champions Trophy 2017

A quirk of the scheduling meant that going into a major ICC tournament this summer, India will have only played three ODIs and three T20Is in the calendar year which also sees them play five Tests in the first three months. And with little time to blood in players for the ICC Champions Trophy, India needed someone with experience.

As a member of India’s Champions Trophy, World T20 and ICC Cricket World Cup winning sides, he has plenty of experience of playing in big tournaments as well and his selection might be aimed at the upcoming tournament.

Like how he was picked last year for his experience with the World T20 around the corner, his selection for the England series might be with the Champions Trophy in mind. And if you want an experienced middle-order batsman who can also contribute with the ball and in the field, there is none better than Yuvraj.

#5 All-round option

Despite the incredible form of India’s top-order over the past few years in limited-overs, they haven’t had a reliable all-rounder or even a top-order batsman who can chip in with a few overs if the front-line bowlers are going for runs. Yuvraj’s versatility means India can be more flexible with the composition of their side.

Although it is likely that India will go in with four front-line bowlers, six batsmen and an all-rounder in Hardik Pandya, the presence of Yuvraj gives them an option of changing the bowling line-up depending on conditions. On tracks that are likely to assist the spinners, India can go in with both Ashwin and Jadeja and on other surfaces, they can opt to go for three pacers.

The fact that the 35-year-old is a more-than handy left-arm spinner gives Virat Kohli plenty of options with the ball and his batting in the middle-order speaks for itself.