Yuvraj Singh's exclusion not surprising says Sunil Gavaskar

Yuvraj’s 187 helped Punjab to set a mamooth first innings score in the last Ranji match

Cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar feels that experienced batsman Yuvraj Singh should have been given a chance by the selectors, considering his current run of form in the domestic circuit. But his exclusion from the side was not surprising as the left-hander was previously not picked for this year’s World Cup , even after top scoring for his Ranji side, Punjab.

“Yuvraj had been given the signal when he was left out of the 2015 World Cup squad. They showed that they are going to look ahead. But yes after his performance in Ranji there was hope that he may be recalled.”

“My personal view is that pick the best combination which has youth and experience. We don’t have anyone at number five and Yuvraj could have provided the best solution. You can’t call Suresh Raina inexperienced who is been around for 10 years but Yuvraj makes a big difference and I feel sorry for him. I don’t think he has that opportunity for one last fling at glory,” Gavaskar told a news channel.

Gavaskar said India must strive to win the series otherwise; playing South Africa in the Test series will become more difficult. India lost the T20 series and currently trail the ODI series 1-2.

“Priority should be to win the series. This South African attack with red ball will be a different cup of tea. If India wins ODI series, it might affect the confidence of South Africa little bit. Yes, have a look at the results. Matches were close, margins were not overwhelming. If they win one game and that they will have confidence of winning two also.”

Previously the batting maestro has stressed on the requirement of a player like Yuvraj in the Indian line up, before the team selection took place. "Yuvraj is in form. As a bowler, he can bowl a few overs and give the depth in the batting. There is no questioning his class. He may concede a few more runs than say an Axar Patel but will score more than Axar and he is top class in the field," Gavaskar said.

India is struggling to bring in an experienced batsman in the middle orders, who can soak in the pressure and Yuvraj could have been an ideal option for the selectors.

After his scorching knock of 187 against Gujarat last week, a lot of people expected the 33 year old batsman to make a comeback in the Indian side after almost a year. But it was clearly not enough for the selectors as he was not included in the team again.