Shubman Gill is the game-changer according to 2011 World Cup champ Yuvraj Singh

 

If one had to choose just a few defining moments from Yuvraj Singh's outstanding international career, his participation in the thrilling World Cup victories of 2007 and 2011 would probably come first. While the World T20 victory in 2007 was ground-breaking and partly to blame for the current preeminence Indian cricket is given, the ODI World Cup victory in 2011 put an end to the 28-year wait to continue the legacy of Kapil Dev's side.

Yuvraj, who is now 41 and has been living after retiring for four years, was named Player of the Tournament in 2011 after scoring 362 runs and taking 15 wickets. A few months before the Indian Premier League (IPL) was established and became a regular fixture in the Twenty20 calendar, his six sixes in an over off England pacer Stuart Broad and a 30-ball 70 against Australia in the semi-final redefined the limits of what is possible in the shortest format four years earlier.

In other words, he is knowledgeable in anything related to a World Cup. In these high-stakes matches, Yuvraj, a powerful middle-order batter and useful left-arm spinner (despite Kevin Pietersen's criticism of him as a "pie chucker"), was undoubtedly the biggest match-winner.

When Yuvraj describes Shubman Gill as a game-changer as the ODI World Cup returns to India following that high of 2011, you have to sit up and take note. When asked if Gill is the upcoming star of Indian cricket, Yuvraj replies, "Next star nahi," while sporting a blue t-shirt with Indian tricolour stripes. He is already a star, star toh woh hai. Right now, he is brave. He's in great shape. He might be the decisive factor. He is able to remove the chains. One is undoubtedly in a fantastic position to win games for India when he is courageous and on form. That's the response I want from him.

In 2011, Yuvraj was a match-winner with his left-arm spin in addition to his colourful backlift and growing bat action. He was frequently obliged to bowl his full allotment of overs in a squad with only four specialist bowlers. In addition to doing that, he developed into a threat to take wickets and even took a wicket and scored a half-century against Ireland. Although he acknowledges that it is more difficult now given the requirement for five fielders inside the 30-yard circle from overs 11–40, he sees the presence of part-timers back then as one of the contrasts from the present setup.

India also had left-handed hitters in Yuvraj, Gautam Gambhir, and Suresh Raina who made sure the left-right combination was maintained throughout an innings. The only southpaws on Rohit Sharma's team are Ishan Kishan and Ravindra Jadeja, so that luxury is not entirely available. Jadeja bats at position seven, although it's unclear where Kishan will stand. For positions No. 4 and No. 5, Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul appear to be the favourites, with Suryakumar Yadav also vying for a position.

"Ishan, Jadeja, and Axar (Patel) were the three left-handed batters we used to have. We still have two lefties despite Axar's absence from the group. What combination they wish to play will give the answer. Iyer is prepared. Surya is prepared. At No. 6, Surya is the kind of player who can eliminate the competition. There are many options, which gives the captain a nice headache while deciding who to play," stated Yuvraj.

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