Analysing the chances of India's veterans to make a comeback into the team

Harbhajan Singh has amde a successful comeback to the Indian national team recentlyVirender Sehwag is one cricketer whose exploits in domestic cricket are still followed keenly by his fans. Even today there are numerous Sehwag fans who expect him to perform in the domestic scene and force a comeback to the Indian team.Just like Sehwag there are cricketers like Irfan Pathan, Gautam Gambhir, Ashish Nehra and Yuvraj Singh who were once an integral part of the Indian team but are now on the sidelines and hoping to make a comeback to the national team.A pertinent question in this scenario is what are chances of these veterans to force a comeback to the Indian team? Let’s analyse their chances in this slideshow:-

#5 Irfan Pathan

Irfan Pathan burst onto the international scene after the 2003 World Cup with his swing bowling capabilities. The left armer’s prodigious swing was a handful to handle for the opposition batsmen and he proved his worth with a hat-trick against Pakistan in a Test match at Karachi.

He achieved a fair amount of success in the following years, including the 2007 T20 World Cup win. But somehow, he lost his swing and pace like many other fast bowlers in India and was sidelined from the team. Though he made a comeback in 2012, injuries again troubled him.

With India looking for a fast bowling all-rounder, Irfan seems to be an option but he is not playing Ranji matches presently to push for the spot. Though only 30, It seems unlikely he will make a comeback to the national side unless he starts playing domestic cricket.

#4 Gautam Gambhir

Gautam Gambhir is an epitome of grit and determination. His abilities to fight against the odds have made him the player he is. Once an integral part of the Indian team where he opened with Virender Sehwag in all the formats, Gambhir is now plying his trade in the domestic circuit.

Gambhir is the captain of the Delhi team in the Ranji Trophy and seems determined to perform for his team to both take his team to glory as well as stage a comeback to the national team.In the pre-season, he also went to Australia to take coaching from Justin Langer which shows he still wants to keep on playing at his best.

For Gambhir to stage a comeback it would require a really bad form from the openers as well as their backups in the Test and ODI team. Though it seems unlikely that selectors will go back again towards an ageing Gambhir but a comeback can still happen with an outstanding Ranji season.

#3 Virender Sehwag

Virender Sehwag is one of the most adored Indian cricketers. His batting style which oozed of aggression won him many fans. One of the better openers to have ever played for India in tests, Sehwag was always a joy to watch.

Sehwag lost his place in the national team in 2013 due to lack of form and has since been a part of Delhi and now Haryana in the domestic setup. A flamboyant batsman, Sehwag has scored a couple of half-centuries for Haryana already in the Ranji trophy this season.

However, turning 37 this October 20th, he seems to be on the wrong side of thirty to stage a comeback. With India having Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane as opening options in ODIs and Murali Vijay, KL Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan as opening options in Tests, it is unlikely that Sehwag will get a call up from the national side but his fans will forever cherish the memories he gave in his career.

#2 Ashish Nehra

Ashish Nehra was a part of two successful World Cup campaigns by India in 2003(runners up) and 2011(winners).A pacy left arm bowler, he can also swing the ball. His career has been regularly marred by injuries but he has always come back stronger.

He was a crucial part of the Chennai Super Kings team in this year’s IPL in which he picked up 22 scalps in 15 matches. With India struggling for good fast bowlers in T20, Ashish Nehra’s performance in the IPL can make him a contender for the seamer’s postion in the national team.

It is possible that selectors might look at Nehra for the T20 series against Australia in January 2016. He can be a useful addition to the side as he has not lost much pace and his left arm angle and swing can be a problem for the opponents.

#1 Yuvraj Singh

Man of the Tournament of the 2011 World Cup, Yuvraj Singh was an integral part of the Indian ODI team for nearly a decade. A gifted batsman and a handy bowler, he was outstanding in the field as well and is one of the most loved cricketers in India. He last played for India in the 2013 T20 World Cup. He is captaining the Punjab side in the Ranji Trophy this season in the absence of Harbhajan Singh and he will be hoping to perform well.

An outstanding Ranji season this year can be a great boost for his comeback to the national side. India is still searching for options at the number six and seven spot in T20s and a good domestic season can put forward Yuvraj’s case for this spot.

He is one of the biggest match winners India had in limited overs and it can be a big factor in his comeback, at least in the T20 side.