IANS
NEW DELHI, DECEMBER 19
Veterans Yuvraj Singh and Ashish Nehra made a comeback to the Indian squad on Saturday after being included in the list of 16 probables for next month's limited overs tour to Australia.
The duo have only been selected for the Twenty20 International (T20I) matches for the January 12-31 tour and will not feature in the One Day Internationals (ODI).
Yuvraj made a successful comeback thanks to a strong performances in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy, where he is currently the third-highest scorer with 341 runs at an average of 85.25. Nehra, meanwhile, made the cut as the selectors felt that his experience would prove useful in Australia.
"Keeping in mind the World T20 lot of players, this was a chance to pick for the World T20 and use it as a platform. The players who were not selected were also discussed. We have extended the talent pool,” selection committee chairman Sandip Patil told reporters.
"Yuvi is special and captain Dhoni is happy to have him back. We can't guarantee him a place in the playing XI, but he will get chances to perform. Nehra is a consistent performer in the T20 format. He will be useful in the team. We will need experienced players in the T20 WC. Australia tour perfect chance to give them a shot," he added.
Experienced batsman Suresh Raina and off-spinner Harbhajan Singh have been dropped from the ODI squad. But the duo have been retained for the T20Is. Raina was off-colour during the home series against South Africa, notching up a total of just 68 runs in five innings.Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ambati Rayudu, Mohit Sharma and Amit Mishra have also been dropped from the ODI squad. All-rounder Stuart Binny has been dropped from both squads.
Several new faces were introduced as the selectors made six changes to the T20I squad that lost 2-0 to South Africa in October,
Rookie pacers Rishi Dhawan, Brainder Singh Sran and all-rounder Hardik Pandya received their first call-ups to the national side. Pandya, who is also a useful medium-pacer, and Sran have been in good form in the domestic circuit this season.
Young pacer Gurkeerat Singh Mann has been retained in the squad. Mann was in the India squad for the ODI and T20I series at home against South Africa, but is yet to make his international debut.
With the Indians expected to encounter pace-friendly conditions in Australia, the inclusion of the young pacers is clearly an attempt to shore up the fast bowling department.
The fit-again Mohammed Shami is also expected to strengthen the fast bowling department.
The selectors also announced that Mahendra Singh Dhoni will continue to lead the Indian ODI and T20 teams till the World T20 Championship which is to be held in India in March-April next year.
India are scheduled to play five ODIs and 3 T20Is in Australia.
ODI squad: Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Manish Pandey, MS Dhoni (C) (Wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohd. Shami, Axar Patel, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Gurkeerat Singh Mann, Rishi Dhawan, Brainder Singh Sran.
T20I squad: Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Yuvraj Singh, MS Dhoni (C) (Wk), Suresh Raina, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohd. Shami, Harbhajan Singh, Umesh Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ashish Nehra.
India named Mahendra Singh Dhoni as their limited-overs captain for next year's World Twenty20 at home while also throwing a lifeline for batsman Yuvraj Singh's international career by including him in the shortest format for the Australia tour.
India lost the one-day international and twenty20 series against South Africa at home under Dhoni, who retired from tests during the Australia tour last year, paving the way for Virat Kohli to take over as captain in the five-day format.
With Kohli's side registering their first test series win in 23 years in Sri Lanka and handing South Africa their first away series defeat in nine years, there was speculation the 27-year-old would also be handed the reins in the shorter formats.
"Lot of speculation, lot of questions, lot of stories were going around. So selectors wanted to send a very clear cut message to all... that who's going to be our leader," chairman of selectors Sandeep Patil told reporters on Saturday.
India will play five ODIs and three T20 matches in Australia.
All-rounder Yuvraj, who last played for India in their 2014 World Twenty20 final loss to Sri Lanka, has shown strong form during the domestic season.
The left-handed batsman, adjudged the best player during India's 50-over World Cup triumph at home in 2011, will always remain a "special player", Patil said.
"Selectors are very happy, the captain is very happy to have him back. We cannot promise any player whether he will be part of the next tour or the World Cup," former India batsman Patil said, responding to a question about Yuvraj's future.
"We want every player to perform and every player will have a chance to be part of the team."
Also making a comeback to the T20 team was 36-year-old left-arm fast bowler Ashish Nehra, who last played for India in 2011 while paceman Mohammed Shami and Ravindra Jadeja were also recalled to the ODI and T20 squads.
Shami has completed his recovery from a knee injury that kept him out since the World Cup earlier this year while Jadeja was rewarded for his strong showing on the domestic circuit and the test series against South Africa.
Batsman Suresh Raina was dropped from the 50-over format while batsman Ambati Rayudu, all-rounder Stuart Binny and leg-spinner Amit Mishra were dropped from both squads.
The ODI squad featured left-arm paceman Brainder Balbirsingh Sran, batsman Gurkeerat Singh Mann and all-rounder Rishi Dhawan, all of whom are yet to play for India while uncapped all-rounder Hardik Pandya was included in the T20 squad.
