Kolkata: Yuvraj Singh, captain of Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Pune Warriors, Wednesday said Sourav Ganguly’s inclusion in the Sahara-owned team was his gesture to pay back the support he had received from the former India captain during the initial years of his career.
“I and Sourav share a very good relationship. He supported me a lot during my initial years in international cricket. And I think it was my time to support ‘Dada’ as he wanted to play IPL,” said Yuvraj.
“We had very good interactions during the IPL seasons. We had good plans and I hope that we will have good plans and strategy in the next season of the IPL also,” said Yuvraj.
Ganguly, who led Bollywood actor Shahrukh Khan-owned Kolkata Knight Riders during the last three IPL seasons, was signed by the Warriors as replacement for Ashish Nehra after he went unsold in the IPL auctions for the fourth edition.
When asked about Ganguly’s body language in the dressing room during the high voltage match between Pune Warriors and Kolkata Knight Riders, Yuvraj said: “I have spoken to him at that time. But he had nothing of that sort in his mind that he needs to prove something against Knight Riders. He always wanted to play good cricket.”
Yuvraj also mentioned that Ganguly doesn’t need to prove anything to anybody after playing for so many years in international cricket.
‘I play for India and not for captains’
Rubbishing rumours that he refused to play under the leadership of co-player Suresh Raina, Yuvraj said he plays for India and not for captains of the cricket team.
“The question is totally baseless. I was badly ill. I have started training. It is totally baseless that I have denied playing under Suresh Raina. I play for India and my team, and not for any captain,” said Yuvraj.
After he was dropped from the West Indies tour on medical grounds, there has been a buzz that Yuvraj has refused to play under the leadership of Raina.
“I have played under Sourav, Dhoni, Gambhir. I have played under so many captains. And Gautam and MS came to the team five years after I got included in the team. There has been no such thing. I play for my country and not for captains,” said Yuvraj. (IANS)