‘All qualities of a leader’: Yuvraj Singh backs Abhishek Sharma for India captaincy, ODI inclusion

Former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh believes that Abhishek Sharma has the qualities to become a leader and could captain the national team in the future.Abhishek is the captain of the IPL side so far. Earlier this year, he was named vice-captain of Sunrisers Hyderabad while Ishan Kishan took charge during the first half of the tournament in the absence of Pat Cummins.Yuvraj, who mentored Abhishek and shares a close bond with the left-handed batsman, pointed to the way he encourages younger players as one of the hallmarks of his leadership qualities. He also believes that captaining an IPL team can help a player prepare to captain India.“Well, it’s too early to say if he has what it takes to be a captain, but I feel he has all the qualities of a leader. I think he encourages the younger guys in state cricket as well. I like how he encourages Sooryavanshi, puts his hand on his shoulder and motivates him. I think that’s a good sign of a tall leader, whatever Cricbuzz called it,” Yuvzz said.“If you want to captain India one day, I think it’s important to captain your IPL side. That gives you the confidence you need to lead India. I’m sure time will tell if he’s capable of it. If it’s in his destiny, I’m sure he’ll get the opportunity. If not, so be it. But I’m sure he’ll end up a great white-ball player or not.”Yuvraj, who was part of India’s 2007 T20 World Cup and 2011 ODI World Cup winning teams, also supported Abhishek’s inclusion in the national ODI team. He said the batsman’s consistent performances in white-ball cricket should be taken into account when assessing his chances.“Whether he has scored 35, 100 or 31, 100, the point is that he has been performing consistently in white-ball cricket for a very long time. What more he needs to do to get into the ODI team, I don’t know. Maybe he needs to contribute more with his bowling and fielding. But that will only happen if he gets an opportunity to play,” he said.Yuvraj acknowledged the competition for places in the Indian team but said Abhishek will need an opportunity to show what he can do in the 50-over format. He also mentioned the performances of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi as an example of a young player who has earned his place in the T20 squad.“There are always areas to improve and I think if you don’t give a player a chance where will he showcase his talent? I understand it’s a difficult situation now because there’s so much competition for places in the squad along with some big names. But look at Sooryavanshi. He’s been great and he’s made his place in the T20 squad. If you feel Abhishek is performing great where he’s playing then you’re in a great place. cricket until the World Cup.”