World Cup winners Yuvraj Singh and Ashish Nehra are set for comebacks to the Indian team after being named in the Twenty20 international squad for January’s tour of Australia.
All-rounder Yuvraj, who battled cancer soon after helping India to the 50-over title in 2011, has not played internationally since the T20 World Cup final loss against Sri Lanka in April 2014.
Fast bowler Nehra’s absence has been even longer, having last turned out for India in the 2011 World Cup.
Yuvraj and Nehra will be available for the three T20s set for late January, though they were not included in the one-day international squad which will play Australia in five matches beginning January 12.
“Yuvraj has always been special. The selectors are happy and captain (MS Dhoni) is happy to have him back,” India’s chairman of selectors Sandeep Patil said.
“We will need experienced players in the T20 World Cup. The Australia tour (is the) perfect chance to give them a shot. Ashish Nehra is a consistent performer in T20 format. We selectors feel he will be useful in the team.”
Indian Premier League star Suresh Raina was a surprise exclusion from the ODI squad for the Australia tour, while Mohammed Shami is due to make his return from a knee injury after being picked for both formats.
“We have not written any player off – those who don’t make a cut in these two teams. I’m not naming (names) but this opportunity that we have to tour Australia, we want to make the best use of it,” Patil said.
Squads
ODI: Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Manish Pandey, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Axar Patel, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Gurkeerat Singh Mann, Rishi Dhawan, Brainder Balbirsingh Sran
T20: Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Yuvraj Singh, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Suresh Raina, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Harbhajan Singh, Umesh Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ashish Nehra
Source: SMH, PTI
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