On the sidelines of the World Championship of Legends final, Yuvraj Singh selected his all-time team. He selected himself as the number twelve player.
Yuvraj Singh, the captain of the India Champions, selected his all-time team after the team emerged victorious in the World Championship of Legends on Saturday, defeating Pakistan by five wickets in an exciting final. When selecting his starting XI, Yuvraj—who is still among the most decorated cricket players in history—made some logical choices. Among Indian batters, players like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Sachin Tendulkar made the cut.
The opening batsmen for him were Sachin Tendulkar and Ricky Ponting, with Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli coming in at No. 3 and No. 4, respectively. Yuvraj selected AB de Villiers at number five, and Adam Gilchrist, the specialist wicket-keeper, at number six.
Australian spin bowling legend Shane Warne was ranked No. 7 by Yuvraj, and Muttiah Muralitharan was ranked No. 8. Wasim Akram and Glenn McGrath were the bowlers at No. 9 and No. 10, respectively, while Andrew Flintoff, a former England all-rounder, was a candidate at No. 11.
Yuvraj chose himself as the special No. 12 player when asked to name one.
Australian spin bowling legend Shane Warne was ranked No. 7 by Yuvraj, and Muttiah Muralitharan was ranked No. 8. Wasim Akram and Glenn McGrath were the bowlers at No. 9 and No. 10, respectively, while Andrew Flintoff, a former England all-rounder, was a candidate at No. 11.
Yuvraj chose himself as the special No. 12 player when asked to name one.
In the championship game, the Yuvraj-led squad proved why they were the best by winning a close battle between two very competitive teams. After winning the toss, the Pakistani Champions chose to bat first and amassed a respectable total of 156/6 in 20 overs.
The squad got off to a strong start thanks to Kamran Akmal (24 off 19) and Maqsood (21 off 12), but regular wickets held the scoring in check.
The innings was anchored by Shoaib Malik’s 41 off 36 balls, which was a notable performance. Irfan Pathan clean bowled Captain Younis Khan for seven runs, ensuring he would not leave an impression.
After scoring a blistering 18, Misbah-ul-Haq was injured and had to be replaced, but Sohail Tanvir’s late contributions (19* off 9) helped Pakistan secure a decent total.
Pakistan’s batting lineup was significantly limited by the efforts of the Indian bowlers, who were headed by Anureet Singh, who took three wickets, and Vinay Kumar, Pawan Negi, and Irfan Pathan, who each took one wicket.
India Champions responded by deliberately beginning their run chase. Even though Ambati Rayudu lost Robin Uthappa (10) early in the innings, his brilliant fifty off thirty balls laid the groundwork for the Men in Blue’s chase.
In the same over, Suresh Raina also left cheaply for four, aiding Pakistan’s recovery. However, Rayudu and Gurkeerat Singh Maan’s (34 off 33) solid partnership kept India in the game.
The momentum remained solidly in India’s favour with Yusuf Pathan’s scorching 30 off 16 balls before the latter was dismissed in the last over. Rayudu and Mann also went out in a span of 10 runs.India secured the victory with skipper Yuvraj Singh (15) and Irfan Pathan (5) at the wicket, finishing at 159 for 5 in 19.1 overs.
