Rahul Dravid rates Yuvraj Singh as all-time great

Former India captain Rahul Dravid congratulated all-rounder Yuvraj Singh on making the 300th ODI appearance of his career. Yuvraj is currently representing the Indian team in their Champions Trophy defence in England. The veteran left-hander played the landmark ODI against Bangladesh in the semi-final of the ongoing Champions Trophy.

Yuvraj has been in great nick lately, having come into the tournament on the back of a lucrative ODI series against England. Although he did not have a particularly notable IPL campaign, Yuvi played a brilliant knock against Pakistan in India’s opening game of the tournament. He scored a 32-ball 53 to propel the Indian team to a daunting total of 319.

Dravid heaped compliments on Yuvi, saying, “He is obviously superstar of Indian cricket. You can’t think of an all-time India 11 without considering Yuvraj Singh very seriously. He will make most people’s all time one day 11, the performances he’s had over the last 17 years.”

A 19-year old Yuvraj Singh announced himself to the international arena with a quickfire 84 against Australia to give India a famous win in the same tournament back in 2000. Team India subsequently reached the final of the second edition of the Champions Trophy but lost to New Zealand.

Yuvi announces himself in style 

Although India did not lift the trophy Yuvraj had made an impact on the Indian team. He took the world by storm with a Man of the Match performance and his batting, as well as fielding skills, had been exceptional. Yuvraj soon became a vital cog in the Indian Cricket Team and remained so for years to come.

“Just going back to that game in 2000, when we played in the Champions Trophy when he first came in, it was incredible. We had seen a little bit of him in the under-19, we had played challenger trophy against him and we could see that he was an exciting talent. To just walk in against Brett Lee, and (Glenn) Mcgrath and Jason Gillespie and play the kind of innings that he did, was sensational,” Dravid told ESPNCricinfo.

He also mentioned that 35-year-old Yuvraj has gone from strength to strength in ODIs. “He has had his ups and downs, physically, with the issues he has had with cancer and everything. But overall, I think his one day cricket has been sensational, to be the player of the tournament in matches India wins,” concluded Dravid.