What’s the story?
Already nursing a calf issue, things didn’t look good for Yuvraj Singh when the Sunrisers Hyderabad and Indian all-rounder injured his arm during the game against Mumbai Indians. However, SRH mentor VVS Laxman believes it isn’t serious and praised the southpaw for coming out to bat despite hurting his hand.
With the ICC Champions Trophy and the IPL 2017 playoffs looming, there were concerns about the 35-year-old’s fitness but Laxman allayed those fears. Speaking after the win over MI, which all but secured them a playoff spot, he said: "He should be okay. Just that the hand got jammed into the ground while he was fielding. So there is some contusion, but luckily we are next playing a match after four days, so there is enough time for him to recover. But credit to him to go out there in spite of the pain, taking the responsibility that I will go out and bat and try to win the match.”
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In case you didn’t know…
The incident took place while Yuvraj was fielding at point. Trying to stop a cut shot by Rohit Sharma, the all-rounder hurt his finger and immediately sat down before he was treated by the physio who came into the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad.
The heart of the matter
The all-rounder was named in India’s Champions Trophy squad earlier in the day. Despite injuring himself, he came out to bat in the 15th over of SRH's chase of 139 and scored an 11-ball 9. He has been an integral part of the SRH side, scoring over 200 runs including two fifties at an average in excess of 30 and also scored his fastest IPL fifty earlier in the season.
What’s next?
With 15 points and a game in hand, SRH will be confident of making it through to the playoffs and have their destiny in their own hands.
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Author’s Take
The fact that Yuvraj Singh’s injury is not serious is good news for not just Sunrisers Hyderabad but also India, who will take part in the Champions Trophy that is less than a month away. An integral part of both sides, the all-rounder will hold the key towards both teams retaining their crown in the upcoming weeks.
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