"What More Does He Need to Do?" Yuvraj Singh Questions India Star's ODI Exclusion

Abhishek Sharma has quickly cemented his place in the Indian team as an indispensable star. With his blitzkrieg at the top of the batting order, Abhishek does what arguably no other batter in the team can. But it isn't just his hitting that has impressed mentor Yuvraj Singh. The former India cricketer lauded the way Abhishek is developing as a leader, the glimpses of which he has seen on the ground, especially when his disciple was playing alongside the 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. Despite the progress that Abhishek has made, he is yet to break into the Indian ODI team, a fact that continues to baffle Yuvraj.

Speaking to Cricbuzz, Yuvraj made it clear that genuine leadership starts long before anyone carries an official title. "Well, it's too early to say whether he has the makings of a captain, but I feel he has all the qualities of a leader. I think he encourages the younger guys in state cricket as well. I love the way he encourages Sooryavanshi, puts his hand on his shoulder and motivates him. I think that's a good sign of a senior leader, whatever you want to call it," Yuvraj observed, pointing out how naturally Abhishek takes on the role of guiding newcomers.

When discussing what it takes to eventually lead the national team, Yuvraj stressed the importance of testing oneself at the franchise level first.

"If you want to captain India one day, I think it's important to captain your IPL side. That gives you the kind of confidence you need to lead India," he explained. At the same time, he reassured fans that captaincy isn't the only benchmark of a great career, adding, "I'm sure time will tell whether he is capable of doing it. If it's in his destiny, I'm sure he'll get the opportunity. If not, then so be it. But I'm sure he'll finish as a great white-ball player, whether he becomes captain or not."

Turning his attention to squad selection and ODI inclusion, Yuvraj questioned what more a batter in form can do to knock down the selector's door.

"Whether he has scored 35, 100 or 31, 100, the point is that he has been performing consistently in white-ball cricket for a very long time. What more does he need to do to get into the ODI squad, I don't know. Maybe he needs to contribute more with his bowling and fielding. But that will only happen if he gets an opportunity to play," Yuvraj stated, highlighting the simple truth that multi-dimensional skills only develop with actual game time.

Acknowledging how difficult it is to break into a line-up packed with big names, Yuvraj urged the management to back players who are currently delivering top performances.

"There are always areas to improve, and I think unless you give a player a chance, where is he going to showcase his talent? I understand that the situation is difficult right now because there is so much competition for places in the squad, along with some big names. But look at Sooryavanshi. He was brilliant and made his own place in the T20 squad. If you feel that Abhishek is performing brilliantly at the moment, then somewhere you have to make a place for him to play 50-over cricket until the World Cup," he concluded, offering a clear blueprint for how India should harness its finest young talent.

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