Mahendra Singh Dhoni and team back match-winner Yuvraj Singh
Mahendra Singh Dhoni said that Yuvraj Singh was a team player, who could win tournaments for India in the future.
- Press Trust of India
- Updated: November 25, 2013 02:41 pm IST
India captain MS Dhoni lent his support to out-of-form Yuvraj Singh after their two-wicket defeat to West Indies here on Sunday. Yuvraj, who scored just 28 runs in 49 balls, also dropped Lendl Simmons when he was on 43. Simmons would go on to score 62 in a match-winning partnership with Darren Sammy. (2nd ODI, as it happened)
"Leave aside batting and bowling, anyone can drop catches. Let's not be critical about it," said Dhoni after the game.
He also added that the entire team was backing Yuvraj to get runs in the crucial No.4 position.
"We want Yuvi to do well. He is someone who can bat well at No.4, someone who can really dominate the opposition. However, in the last few games, he has struggled a bit. At times it happens when you're under pressure.
"We all know the kind of a talent he is. Once he gets a few runs, you'll see a different Yuvraj Singh," Dhoni proclaimed.
Dhoni added that Yuvraj was a team player, who could win tournaments for India. "Apart from the talent he has, he's someone who does really well once he's confident and dominates a tournament or a series. He makes sure we win tournaments," said Dhoni.
Both Yuvraj and Suresh Raina have batted at No.4 in recent times, with neither able to cement the position. "Yuvi is under a bit of pressure. We wanted Yuvi to be comfortable at his slot. He has batted well at No 4. Raina has also done well at No.5. We are just looking at options. I still stand by it. But at the same time, we need to see if we can take some pressure off Yuvi," said Dhoni.
Dhoni said that he prefers Raina over Yuvraj as a bowler against West Indies because the former is more effective against left-handed batsmen.
"If we need him (Yuvraj), he'll bowl. Raina is bowling well. I felt Raina was more appropriate with a few of the left-handers. We can attack with Ashwin and if we need a left-arm spinner, we have Jadeja and of course there's Yuvraj Singh," Dhoni said.