IPL performances should count for national selection - Sehwag

Though the Indian Premier League is a Twenty20 tournament, Delhi Daredevils captain Virender Sehwag wants performances in the high-profile event to be taken into account when the Indian team for the tri-series in Bangladesh is selected on May 30.

"IPL performances should matter. Everyone is watching it," he said. "I think the selectors should take IPL performances into account when they select the Indian squad."

A number of youngsters have made their mark in the IPL and Sehwag felt, given the amount of international cricket ahead, they should be picked to the national squad on a rotation basis. "So many youngsters have done well in the tournament. For us, Shikhar Dhawan has done well, so have Yo Mahesh and Pradeep Sangwan.

"India play a tri-series in Bangladesh, they play the Asia Cup in Pakistan and then there is the Champions Trophy. There's a lot of cricket is to be played this year and I think selectors should, on rotation, give chances to the youngsters to play alongside the seniors."

Dilip Vengsarkar, the chairman of selectors, had earlier said that the selectors would watch the second half of the IPL to gauge the form and fitness of players ahead of the tri-series in Bangladesh, which starts on June 8. However, he had also said: "IPL is a very good concept. Young players with potential have come along. But one-day internationals are a different ball game."