Yuvraj Singh Backs KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya To Break His Fastest-50 Record In T20Is

Yuvraj during a live session on a Youtube page said that Rahul and Pandya have all the belligerance and firepower in their strokeplay to break his fastest half ton record in the shortest format of the game.

Photo: AFP

New Delhi: India's 2011 World Cup hero Yuvraj Singh has backed KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya's power hitting abilities to break his fastest-fifty record in T20 international cricket.

One of India's finest left handed batsmen produced a record breaking innings in the 2007 World T20 when he slammed the fastest half-century in just 12 balls against England. During his whirlwind knock, Yuvraj slammed English seamer  Stuart Broad for six consecutive sixes in an over to create history.

Yuvraj during a live session on a Youtube page said that Rahul and Pandya have all the belligerance and firepower in their strokeplay  to break his fastest half ton record in the shortest format of the game. KXIP batting ace KL Rahul currently owns the record of fastest fifty in Indian Premier League history. He hit a boundary laden 14-ball fifty against Delhi Capitals in 2018 IPL. “Two guys I thought could break the record are Chris Gayle and AB de Villiers. KL can do it he has 50 off 14 balls in the IPL but scoring a 50 in international cricket where all are quality bowlers and in IPL where you get two quality bowlers is not the same. But KL and Hardik have the potential,” Yuvraj said on Sportscreen's Youtube page. Yuvraj further hailed hard hitting all-rounder Hardik Pandya's potential and said he can be a serious asset for India in the next World Cup.

 “Hardik Pandya has immense potential. He has got amazing talent. Someone needs to work with his head so that he can perform in crunch situations. If somebody can work on his mind, he can be a serious asset as we go to the next World Cup.”

Yuvraj also slammed the selection of players during last year's ODI World Cup, where Virat Kohli and Co. exited at the semifinal stage after losing to New Zealand. "The selection during the 2019 World Cup was shocking. You need people to question those decisions when players who have played 5 ODIs are playing in the middle order. "Can the current selectors question these decisions when they themselves have played only 5 ODIs?" he asked.