Yuvraj ordered to play Duleep final

Yuvraj Singh's 11th-hour inclusion in the North Zone squad for the Duleep Trophy final has led to speculations and rumours with Yuvraj making it clear that he had been forced to play the match despite a bad shoulder.

Yuvraj had pulled out of the previous match for North Zone, citing a stiff shoulder, and was all set to sit out the final as well, until the selectors ordered him to turn up for the game. Talking to The Indian Express, Yuvraj made it clear that he wasn't too happy playing. "My shoulder was stiff and I did not want to play. I had told my team I won't [play], but the selectors asked me to," he said.

After scoring a cracking 106, without apparent discomfort, Yuvraj was run out due to a mix-up with Dinesh Mongia.

Yuvraj's name was not on the team sheet released to the media on the eve of the match and Mongia, North Zone's captain, came to know of Yuvraj's inclusion through the selectors and he had no hesitation about including him in the playing XI.

"Yes, Yuvraj's name was not there," Mongia said. "But when we came to know [through the selectors] he is playing, we included him in the side because he is too good a player to be left out. Unfortunately, Pankaj [Dharmani], who is doing well, had to sit out."

Ashwini Kumar, who doubles up as North Zone's manager and coach, said he was aware of Yuvraj's impending arrival. "I knew on Wednesday that he [Yuvraj] was coming," Kumar said. "So I included him in the squad."

But Kumar was less forthcoming about the reasons for Yuvraj's inclusion after his name was left out of the 15-man team sheet circulated on Wednesday. "You are asking me something for which I am not the authority to answer".

Interestingly, while Syed Kirmani, who heads the selection committee, claimed he did not know what was happening, a board official said, "It's time the players are pulled up for skipping domestic matches."