Karnataka's Manish Pandey was announced as Yuvraj's replacement in the squad. It would be interesting to see if Dhoni will give the youngster a chance in this big ticket game.
Who will replace Yuvraj Singh?
That's a question on every cricket follower's mind. Even as India struggle with their batting in this World Twenty20, barring Virat Kohli, the Punjab batsman's ankle injury that ruled him out of the tournament has given India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni another headache of sorts.
Karnataka's Manish Pandey was announced as Yuvraj's replacement in the squad. It would be interesting to see if Dhoni will give the youngster a chance in this big ticket game.
Going by net session on the eve of the semi final against the West Indies at the Wankhede on Wednesday where Pandey got to bat after the top three – Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli – before Dhoni followed him, it appears like the rookie batsman might be a part of playing eleven on Thursday.
The middle-order batsman's recent match-winning knock at the SCG — an 81-ball 104 not out — helped India avoid a whitewash in the five-match series against Australia. Considering that his century came during a chase says a lot about his mental toughness. Hence, it would not be wise to doubt his abilities in a high pressure tournament like World Twenty20.
On the other hand, India has a talented all-rounder in Pawan Negi from Delhi warming the bench. His selection for the Asia Cup and the World Twenty20 was a surprise but many know what he is capable of. He has been a hit in this format in domestic cricket and for Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League.
Not just that, like Yuvraj, Negi has the ability to hit some big shots and on top of that he is a regular left-arm spinner.
Full coverage of the India vs West Indies,2nd Semi-final ICC World T20 including preview, commentary and scorecard
The Wankhede track is known to be a batting beauty and is not expected to be different this time too. An all-rounder in place of another all-rounder is what Dhoni can go for.
If you are thinking of Ajinkya Rahane making a return then it is difficult since Dhoni is likely to continue with his top order and it is unlikely he will give Mumbai batsman a place in the lower order .
"We've not decided (who his replacement will be). Manish (Pandey) has just joined the party yesterday. We'll take a good look at everything in the nets and see what's the best option for tomorrow. Yes, we'll have to keep those overs in mind (that Yuvraj sent down in the previous game)," said team director Ravi Shastri.
The explosive Yuvraj may be a shadow of himself at this stage of his career, but he was still a boon for the Indian team at least in this format. If not as threatening as he was a few years ago, Yuvraj played a crucial role in India's victories recently with the bat.
Unlike in the past where he would lead the way in taking India to victories, this comeback he has played more of a supporting role. His partnerships with younger buddy Virat Kohli in recently were instrumental in team's win -— two against Pakistan, once in Asia Cup and another at Eden Garden's in World Twenty20.
Talking about Yuvraj, Shastri said, "It will have an impact because he's had his moments. I thought his three overs were brilliant in the last game. It put the brakes on the scoring and allowed us to come back in the game. After the first four overs, it was a no contest – it looked 200-220, which would have been very difficult to chase on that surface. It's an injury that happened during the game when he was looking to take off, and I believe it's a minor tear on the ankle. We'll miss him."
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