Yuvraj Singh hopes to start training in couple of weeks

Indian all-rounder, Yuvraj Singh, is hoping to start his training in the next couple of weeks. The stylish left-hander, who has been out of action for well over a year due to a non-malignant tumour in his lungs, is raring to take the field and don the blue once more.

However, Singh did not give a timeframe on when he will be fit enough to play professional cricket. The left-hander held that only time will tell, as it is left to be seen how his body reacts to the work load.

While giving an interview to Indian Premier League’s official website, Singh said, “I'll start training in a week or two. I definitely want to get back on the field as soon as possible and wear my India cap again. I can't really give a time right now, because I'll have to see how my body responds to the training and the workouts.”

Singh, the 30-year-old cricketer, was diagnosed with cancer after guiding team India to their second World Cup trophy in 2011. The charismatic left-hander went to United States of America (USA) to undergo chemotherapy and returned home on April 9, 2012 after being successfully operated.

The cricketer shared that he is getting stronger with every passing day and it is only a matter of time before he is back in the Indian team.

Yuvraj had to miss the fifth edition of Indian Premier League, as he is still in rehabilitation phase. The 30-year-old was to captain Pune Warriors but in his absence the responsibility of leading the side was given to former cricketer Sourav Ganguly.

Pune has so far done reasonably well under Ganguly’s stewardship. They have won four matches and are placed third on the IPL points table.

Yuvraj was happy to see Warriors compete with other top teams. He said, “He's (Ganguly) had a lot of experience as a captain for Team India and he'd be the best guy to lead the team at the moment. I just hope that they get into last four, and with his experience the team can really pull through. My team (Pune Warriors) is doing really well and it's great to watch them play.”

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India will perform better in the remaining Test matches, feels Sourav Ganguly

Former Indian captain, Sourav Ganguly, backs India to bounce back in the four-match series against Australia and expressed that the Men in Blue must have learned a lot from the Boxing Day Test match at Melbourne. Australia defeated the Men in Blue by a handsome margin of 122 runs in the first match of the series. A number of cricket analysts in India claimed that Mahendra Singh Dhoni and company are going to give a tough time to the Kangaroos but the first Test turned out to be an anti-climax. India has always been a formidable unit at home, but there are a lot of question marks over their ability to perform abroad. Before India’s tour of England earlier in 2011, the Men in Blue were the number one ranked Test team of the world. However, they were whitewashed by England as the home team snatched the top ranking from India. The Men in Blue failed to beat England even once.

Sourav feels that India had a good chance to dismantle the Aussies in the first Test, but they failed to capitalize on the opportunities. Ganguly urged the Indian team to do their home work before the second Test, hoping that the team will bounce back. The former Indian captain said, “The Indians will be disappointed with their performance. They were in good positions at various times, but weren't able to give the knockout punch at the right moment. The Indians have some thinking to do, but I can guarantee a better show in Sydney. History suggests with India touring abroad that they play better from the second Test onwards.” Sourav further added that the performances of Umesh Yadav and Zaheer Khan stand as a big plus for India and the fast bowlers are expected to make an impact in the next three matches of the series. “They can take a lot of positives from this game, especially in the bowling department. Umesh Yadav was hugely impressive, and what will give a lot of hope to M.S. Dhoni is that Zaheer Khan has come out well”, said Sourav.

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Yuvraj Singh hoping for change after Sourav Ganguly’s inclusion in Pune Warriors

The Pune Warriors’ skipper, Yuvraj Singh, has expressed satisfaction over the inclusion of India’s former opening batsman, Sourav Ganguly in the franchise.

Ganguly will be replacing Ashish Nehra after the bowler suffered an injury.

Singh believes that Ganguly will help the Warriors redeem themselves after the franchise lost seven games on the trot.

Speaking to newsmen on the inclusion of his former skipper, Singh said, “Hopefully, he will get us a win. It's good to have him back. I just feel someone who has been captain of Indian team for a long time can always help the youngsters. Hopefully, he will hit few sixes with the bat."

Asked if it will be awkward to captain Ganguly who had been captaining Singh in the past, the all-rounder rejecting any such notion said, “It feels great that Sourav is playing under me. He has always helped me as a captain (of the Indian team) and now it's my duty to help him."

Singh backed 38-year-old Ganguly, citing the inclusion of Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman in the IPL. Ganguly was given the cold shoulder by the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) earlier when he was dropped from the side.

Ganguly is expected to play in Sunday’s game wearing the Pune jersey. Singh hopes that the veteran batsman will breathe a new life in their squad.

Speaking on the recent failures of Pune, Singh admitted that they were in a tough spot after losing too many matches and will need to win all their games from here onwards.

He also admitted that the side had tried different combinations but none had worked till now, however, with the addition of Sourav, things might change for the better.

On Saturday, May 7, 2011, Ganguly was seen training in the nets, a clear indication that the formidable batsman is eager to have a go.

Ganguly will also be looking to prove to his critics that he is still fit enough to play competitive cricket.

According to him he can still play cricket in the IPL for another three years as opposed to what the KKR management felt. They offered Ganguly to take a managerial role in the squad which he refused.

Pune Warriors are all set to take on the Kings XI Punjab on Sunday, May 8, 2011, in the 51^st IPL match at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali, Chandigarh.

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Sourav Ganguly ready to open for Pune Warriors

Former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly, who recently made his comeback to Indian Premier League and joined Pune Warriors, has expressed his willingness to bat at the opening position for his new outfit in the ongoing competition.
"I am very flexible with that (position in the batting order). Let's see what the team management tells me. I am ready for everything," Ganguly said.
In a dramatic development a couple of days ago, the Indian southpaw, who led Kolkata Knight Riders in the previous three IPL editions, was picked up by Pune's franchise as replacement player for the injured Ashish Nehra.
Languishing at the bottom of the season four standings with just a couple of triumphs from eight matches, the IPL debutant outfit has not been able to make an impact so far in the competition. It is being considered that Ganguly stepped into the Pune set-up at the most appropriate time as he can emerge as Warriors' lucky charm and help them return back to the winning ways.
Pune’s skipper, Yuvraj Singh along with his team-mates, is also hoping that Ganguly will do the magic for Pune and put their IPL campaign back on track.
Ganguly has an overall record of scoring 11,363 runs in 311 ODI matches. His record as an opener in limited overs cricket is even more impressive, with 9,146 runs in 242 innings and scored at an average of 41.57.
Former Indian skipper, who went unsold in IPL-4 earlier in January 2011, has a point to prove as he has not been very good with the bat in IPL's previous editions. Irrespective of his batting position in the Pune Warriors, Ganguly is determined to do well for his new franchise.
When asked about his sudden return to IPL, Ganguly stated, "I was approached by them (Pune). They wanted to know whether I was available or not. I told them I was available. That's how I am going to play for Pune Warriors."
Although, the former skipper has been ruled out of today’s decisive encounter with Mumbai Indians, Ganguly is happy for his return and vowed to deliver his one hundred percent in the upcoming games.

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KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS CAPTAIN GAUTAM GAMBHIR SATISFIED WITH WIN OVER DELHI DAREDEVILS

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Kolkata Knight Riders captain Gautam Gambhir is completely satisfied to get back on the winning track after his team thrashed Delhi Daredevils in an Indian Premier League game on Thursday.

Put into bat first, the Kolkata team put up a fighting total of 148 runs with the help of Manoj Tiwary’s blistering knock of 61 runs from just 47 balls. In response, the Virender Sehwag-led Delhi side could only manage to reach 131 for 9 in 20 overs.

Enormously delighted to see his team back on the winning ways after three consecutive defeats in the tournament, Gambhir gave full credit to the players for putting in a fantastic effort against his former outfit.

“The guys showed a lot of desperation, we all wanted to win desperately. I never expected so much spin on such a grassy wicket. Everyone contributed in his own way, and if you manage to defend a score of 148 it gives the team a lot of confidence,” Gambhir said.

After his consistently outstanding performance throughout the ICC World Cup 2011, Gambhir became Kolkata’s skipper, replacing Sourav Ganguly who led the Riders in the previous editions of the IPL.

The match on Thursday was Gambhir’s first official outing as skipper against the Daredevils and he was pleased with the win.

Heaping praise on his bowlers for their fabulous show in the game, the captain clarified that the Delhi team is not more than just a chapter of history for him.

“Our bowlers showed what they are made of. My heart and soul is with KKR, I am not a Delhi boy anymore,” the classy Indian batsman added.

Gambhir further admired Tiwary for his match winning performance, saying that he went out to the crease with an intention of playing the entire 20 overs and that is what he did at the end of the day.

Meanwhile, the left-hander claimed that the win has boosted his team’s confidence and hoped that the players would continue with the good work in the upcoming games.

The dejected Daredevils captain Sehwag on the other hand blamed his batsmen for an embarrassing defeat at the hands of the Riders.

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Sourav Ganguly tops BCB’s wish list for the next batting coach

The Bangladesh Cricket Board has identified Sourav Ganguly as their main choice to take up the position of batting coach for their national side. Speaking to the Indian Express in a recent interview, the BCB Chairman Mohammed Jalal Yunus expressed their desire to bring the former Indian player to coach their side.

“We want Sourav's assistance. He is hugely respected here and his skills and tactical nous will greatly help our batsmen,” he said.

The decision comes after Bangladeshi team’s failure to qualify for the knock-out stages of the 2011 ICC World Cup. Missing out due to a poorer net run rate after finishing level on points with fourth place England, the side’s inconsistent batting performances were often identified as the main weakness.

Although inexperienced as a coach in any form, Ganguly was the Indian national side’s captain for quite some time and his tactical astuteness and skills are something that the Bangladeshi team will wish to take advantage of.

The Bangladeshi batting line-up has shown its ability on a few occasions with opening batsman Tamim Iqbal and Imrul Kayes impressing on the odd occasion, yet the fact that the rest of the side tend to collapse has been a major concern for the side.

No formal offer

Despite expressing an open interest in the former Indian player, the BCB are yet to approach the player with a formal offer and speculation is mounting whether any offer will be accepted by Ganguly.

The former captain snubbed an approach from the BCB last year, and it seems that a similar response is likely to follow.

Ganguly was put up for auction to the 10 teams that make up the IPL, yet he remained unsold. The exclusion was a factor that made him the BCB’s top target; however the fact that the Sri Lankan Cricket Board has recalled all its players who are playing in the IPL means that a window for Ganguly to return to the IPL has reopened.

The Sri Lankan players are to report back to their home nation on May 5, in order to prepare for their tour of England and this will mean that Ganguly may be able to join the Kochi Tuskers Kerala to replace Mahela Jayawardene in the side.

If this is to happen, then the slim chance of any offer from the BCB being accepted by Ganguly will further deteriorate, as it is likely the Indian player would be more willing to accept a consultancy role rather than a full time coaching job.

Meanwhile, another former Indian player is being lined up to take the post of the chief coach of Bangladesh, as Robin Singh seems set to replace Jamie Siddons.

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