Ranji Trophy 2017-18: Harbhajan Singh Appointed As Punjab's Captain, Yuvraj Singh Named His Deputy
Updated - 25 May 2019, 05:06 PM
Veteran stars Harbhajan Singh and Yuvraj Singh are all set to return to action for Punjab in the upcoming season of the Ranji Trophy. The duo, meanwhile, will be assigned important roles in the team as The Hindustan Times have reported that while Harbhajan is set to lead the team, Yuvraj is likely to be named his deputy.
Harbhajan was appointed the captain last season too but did not play a single game. Consequently, Yuvraj had donned the captain’s hat in the spinner’s absence. The upcoming season, meanwhile, is a crucial one for Yuvraj as it can revive or end his international career. The World Cup-winning star had made a sensational return the ODI team earlier this year after a three-year hiatus and hit the ground running, scoring a career-best 150 in only his second match. However, inconsistent performances coupled with poor fitness saw him losing his place in the team after the West Indies tour.
With age also not on his side, many feel that it is the end of road for the left-handed batsman but India coach Ravi Shastri has made it clear that the doors are still open for the star batsman.
“Any player is eligible for selection if they perform well on the following parameters – fitness, current form and fielding. Fielding is very important if you want to win consistently,” Shastri had told India TV earlier this month.
“I am not involved in selection. The door is not closed on Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina. Any player who performs well on these parameters is eligible for selection,” he had added.
On the other hand, Harbhajan is not even in the frame for the selection in the national team. The first Indian to take a Test hat-trick, Harbhajan’s last appearance for Team India came last year during the Asia Cup which was a T20 tournament while his last Test and ODI appearance came way back in 2015.
Meanwhile, Punjab’s squad for the upcoming season has not been announced yet but the players including Yuvraj have already started the training camp under new head coach Ajay Ratra.
