Former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh believes young batters Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi deserve more opportunities in 50-over cricket.Yuvraj feels that not regularly considering these players for the ODI team does not do justice to their talent. He also hopes they get a place in the squad soon.“I would love to see him (Abhishek) in the ODIs, to be honest, and I have said this before that if we are not picking guys like Ishan Kishan, Abhishek and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in 50-over cricket, then somewhere down the line we are not doing justice to their talent,” Yuvraj told PTI on the sidelines of an event.Yuvraj has been Abhishek’s mentor for several years and has played an important role in the youngster’s development.However, the former India all-rounder understands that the presence of experienced players makes it difficult for youngsters to find a place in the team.“I understand we have some great players and it is hard to make a spot for them. I think the way they (young batters) are performing, hopefully, they should be in the squad soon. Whatever he (Abhishek) has achieved is because of his hard work, and credit goes to him,” he added.
Abhishek responds to Yuvraj’s 12-ball fifty challenge
Abhishek may have looked up to Yuvraj while growing up, but the young India opener is not ready to accept his mentor’s challenge of scoring a half-century off just 12 balls.The left-hander made his point after smashing a 38-ball 113 against New Zealand in the third T20I on Tuesday. His innings helped India register a six-wicket win, and he was named Player of the Match.Yuvraj had posted a playful message on social media, saying that he was still waiting to see Abhishek score a fifty off 12 balls.However, Abhishek said such an achievement was not easy and was not something batters planned for.“I don’t know what cricket he was playing back at that time, but it’s not that easy at all,” Abhishek said during the presentation ceremony.“I would say if any batter wants to go there and bat like that, it’s not easy at all. You can’t just go and score 50 off 12 balls. It just happens once in a while,” he added.
