Rediff.com« Back to articlePrint this article

Should India retain the same playing XI for World T20?

January 31, 2016 23:16 IST

Yes, thinks former India captain Sunil Gavaskar.

Yuvraj Singh celebrates with teammates after claiming a wicket

Yuvraj Singh celebrates with teammates after taking the wicket of Glenn Maxwell on Sunday. Photograph: Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images

Batting legend Sunil Gavaskar reckons India should retain the same playing eleven, that whitewashed Australia 3-0 in the three-match T20 series, for the upcoming ICC World Twenty20 Championships.

"This is the playing eleven that I would like to see in the World Twenty20," said Gavaskar when asked about his take on India's World T20 squad.

India produced an inspired performance on Sunday to record their highest run-chase ever on Australian soil as they pulled off a dramatic last ball seven wicket victory in the third and final Twenty20 International to achieve a rare 3-0 clean sweep against Australia in Sydney.

The win also promoted Mahendra Singh Dhoni's boys to the top of the ICC T20 rankings and they now lead the table in the shortest and the longest format.

Suresh Raina (49 not out) and comeback man Yuvraj Singh (15 not out) kept their cool as they blasted the required 17 runs off the final over to chase down a mammoth target of 198 set by Australia.

Gavaskar said Yuvraj should be an integral part of India's World T20 team.

"Yuvraj gets wickets in Australia. On the sub-continent, he has to be part of the eleven," the former India skipper told NDTV.

"Yuvraj has not lost his power. He is a plus. India must be patient with him.

"When Yuvraj got going, he delivered. We have done a bit of SwachhAustralia," he added.

Gavaskar was also full of praise for Raina, who according to him is the one of the best readers of T20 format.

"In Twenty20s, there are no better readers of the format than Suresh Raina," he said.

"The way Suresh Raina and Yuvraj Singh held their nerve is commendable. The balance of the team is good. The Sydney win was big. Chasing 200 is never easy."

© Copyright 2024 PTI. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of PTI content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent.