'I can be a patriot and say India will win but...': Yuvraj 'concerned' ahead of World Cup, says 'we will struggle if...'

There is a reason why Yuvraj Singh is considered one of India's biggest match-winners of all time. Way beyond the statistics and the six sixes in an over off Stuart Broad, Yuvraj's impact on Indian cricket is one that is yet to be duplicated. He was India's first real No. 4 batter, and held on to his position almost till the end. The most ardent of Yuvraj critics would argue that he could never crack the Test code, but in a line-up featuring Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman in the middle-order, who could? Long before MS Dhoni captured the imagination of the Indian audience with his barbaric hitting, Yuvraj, with his purring cover drives and effortless sixes made heads turn, so much so that even today, India is yet to discover a striker as clean and authoritative as him in the middle order.

During his 18-year-long career, Yuvraj was part of several iconic Indian sides – be it the early 2000s under Ganguly, the mid-2000s under Rahul Dravid, or the one in the 2010s under MS Dhoni. All these teams were special in their own right. Yuvraj was just 2 years into international cricket when India reached the World Cup in 2003, and yet his numbers read 240 runs in 10 innings. The World Cup 2007 was an unforgettable chapter for every Indian cricketer, so when he returned for another hurrah in 2011, Yuvraj smashed 362 runs in 8 innings, winning the Player of the Tournament award as India clinched the World Cup. Yuvraj has seen the highs on highs – 2003 and 2011 – and the lowest of lows – 2011, and although he may have retired from the game four years ago, whenever there is an issue plaguing the Indian team, it doesn't go unnoticed past Yuvi.

He will be the biggest supporter for the Indian team when the World Cup comes knocking on the door two months from now, but not one to get carried away by emotions, Yuvraj is worried about India's chances in the showpiece event. Yuvraj's prime concern is India's middle order, which has been chopped and changed far too much. With injuries to KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant, India have had no option but to rely on Suryakumar Yadav and Sanju Samson, who are yet to ace the one-day game. In all likelihood, the middle-order woes will improve if Rahul and Iyer return timely, but if they don't, Yuvraj is not too optimistic of India's chances at the World Cup.

"I can be a patriot and say 'India will win because I am an Indian.' But I see a lot of concerns in the Indian middle order because of injuries. If those concerns are not resolved, we will struggle, especially in pressure games. Don't experiment in pressure games. The skill work to bat in the middle order is very different from that of an opener. Is there anybody there (in the team management) who is working around the guys that will be playing in the middle order? That's the question mark – the middle order is not ready, so someone will have to make them ready," Yuvraj said on the Cricket Basu YouTube channel.

Yuvraj explains the importance of steady players in the middle-order

Contrary to the general notion, India are yet to figure out their Playing XI, and the frequent experiments are a result of it. This lack of clarity cost India the second ODI against West Indies and has landed the team on the cusp of suffering a first bilateral series defeat to the Windies in 17 years. With overdependence on players, who in all likelihood, won't even feature in India's 15-member squad, Rahul Dravid, Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya are missing the trick. Only Virat Kohli at No. 3 alone can't always help stabilise the innings in case of a top order collapse. Between him and the finishing act reserved for Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja, Yuvraj believes India need anchors who play a crucial role in ODIs.

"If your openers are out early, you need to build a partnership. (Middle order) batsmen are not simply flamboyant stroke-makers that occupy the crease and start hitting. He has to absorb pressure, leave a few balls, and create a partnership. It's a difficult job, somebody has to be experienced over there," he added.