India did not plan well for 2019 WC: Yuvraj Singh
Former Indian all-rounder Yuvraj Singh believes the Indian squad lacked experience in the 2019 World Cup. In an Instagram Live session with former England batsman Kevin Pietersen, Yuvraj stated the plans of Indian team management were not upto the mark, going into the tournament. The southpaw also backed Rishabh Pant, stating he still needs experience to perform at the big stage. Here is more.
Yuvraj asserted the ball game is different in the two limited-overs formats. "When you play IPL for 20 overs, you have the authority of playing big shots anytime. But in the 50-over matches, you cannot smash every ball," he said. He added, "I am just saying your mindset is different when you have the experience of playing 50-over matches."
"You need experience when you play the World Cup. We did not plan well for the 2019 World Cup. Rishabh Pant was just playing his fifth match. I know everyone was pissed at him, but he was just playing his fifth match," said Yuvraj.
Team India's unbeaten run in the 2019 World Cup ended with an unprecedented semi-final defeat to New Zealand. The Virat Kohli-led India failed to chase a nominal 240-run target as the batsmen decimated in front of Kiwi seamers. Rishabh Pant was severely critisized for his poor shot selection in the run-chase. However, India topped the points table with seven wins and a solitary defeat.
The Indian wicket-keeper could muster only 116 runs from four World Cup matches. Following the tournament, Pant has been struggling to find his feet across formats. "If IPL was 50-over tournament, and Pant had the experience of three IPLs (50-over format), then things would have been different," said Yuvraj. "Pant maybe not as mentally strong as you were when you started in your career."
