India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni says that Yuvraj Singh can draw confidence from his performance against New Zealand in Tuesday's Twenty20 as he made a return to international cricket after a grim battle with rare germ cell cancer.
In his first international match in 10 months, Yuvraj bowled two overs for 14 runs and struck an aggressive 34 off 26 balls at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium.
India though lost the match by one run but Dhoni was happy with the way Yuvraj made his return to international cricket.
Dhoni feels the game will give Yuvraj the much needed confidence ahead of the World Twenty20.
"From tomorrow, he can do whatever he wants to. It's just about giving that individual a bit of space so that he can think about what he needs to do. Especially given that he is playing after 10 months, you will put pressure on him because he doesn't know where he stands. Now that he has done well, he can do whatever he wants," Dhoni said.
Dhoni said Yuvraj brings a balance to the team with his all-round skills.
"It was a big game for him. All the eyes were on him. It was good to see him on the field. I personally feel that he gives us the right kind of balance we need," he said.
Dhoni also said that Yuvraj's left-arm spin brings a variation to the bowling attack.
"Of course he is not someone who will bowl all four overs in a T20 game but I can use his variations. If you see our bowling line up, we have to play with four specialist bowlers and the fifth bowler will be all these part timers," he said.
Dhoni said it is time for Yuvraj to forget everything about his ailment.
"Once you go onto the field you don't think about all these things. I have always believed that if some of these things happen, you should try to keep it simple. You will get in and play big knocks. We all know his batting is among the best in the world so I am really happy for him," he said.
IANS
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