IPL auction 2018: Sehwag backs Yuvraj Singh to make a strong comeback, reveals KXIP's favoured RTM picks

What’s the story?

Kings XI Punjab mentor Virender Sehwag has backed out-of-favour veteran Indian batsman Yuvraj Singh to make a comeback in the national team. He cited the example of Ashish Nehra and how made a successful comeback at the age of 36. He even went on to add that Punjab fans would want Yuvraj and Harbhajan Singh in the team.

In case you didn’t know...

Yuvraj Singh made a successful comeback last January against England when he scored a superb 150 at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack. He was also a part of the Indian team which reached the final of the Champions Trophy in June last year.

But, loss of form and fitness issues meant that he was not considered for selection post the West Indies tour. He also failed the much-hyped Yo-Yo Test a few times after he was excluded from the team.

However, Yuvraj Singh has worked really hard on his fitness and has managed to clear the Yo-Yo Test in December. He also started off the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy with a couple of good scores before failing in the last couple of games.

The heart of the matter

When asked about whether Yuvraj Singh could still make a comeback, the former Indian opener said, “That's up to the selectors. If he performs in domestic cricket or passes (yoyo), then why not? If Ashish Nehra can make a comeback at 36, why not Yuvi.”

In an exclusive chat with TOI, Sehwag expressed his views on the players who would attract a lot of attention from franchises. He mainly chose the all-rounders as his hot picks ahead of the auction. He said, “Ben Stokes, Dwayne Bravo and Mitchell Starc are the international players everyone wants. I won't be surprised if Stokes goes for around $1.5 million. I expect the capped India players to fetch around Rs10-12cr too. Among the uncapped players, Krunal Pandya and Deepak Hooda would be in demand.”

He also spoke about how the Kings XI Punjab fans would love to see the local players – Yuvraj Singh and Harbhajan Singh to play for the Punjab franchise. He also disagreed with the critics who feel that Yuvraj is past his prime and backed his former India teammate. “I think the fans would want Punjab stars like Yuvraj and Harbhajan Singh in the Kings XI team. He's not in the Indian team, but Yuvraj is still an amazing player. His talent is intact. Even a current India player can lose form. I don't think we'll get a player like him again. If his form his good, he's a match-winner,” he says.

The 39-year old Punjab mentor also explained why Kings XI only retained one player (Axar Patel). He elaborately explained that Axar Patel might have gone for a lot more in the auction and the franchise can use their RTM card to get back Maxwell or Miller.

The Delhi dasher explained, “We can use the 'Right to Match' card to retain Glenn Maxwell and David Miller. We felt that if Axar goes into the auction, we may have to pay much more to buy him since he's an India all-rounder.”

What’s next?

The much-awaited auction is all set to take place on the 27th and 28th of January in Bangalore. Yuvraj Singh is one of the marquee players and is likely to attract a lot of attention from various teams.

Author’s take

Yuvraj Singh is certainly one of the best match-winners India have ever produced in limited-overs cricket. Ever since he has been out of the Indian team, he has been working really hard on his fitness and a good performance in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (knockouts) and a good IPL can help the Punjab left-hander make a comeback in the Indian team.