IPL 2018: Virender Sehwag reveals why Kings XI Punjab preferred Ashwin over Yuvraj as captain

New Delhi, Feb 27: Former India cricketer Virender Sehwag has revealed why he decided to make Ravichandran Ashwin as the captain of Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2018.

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Sehwag, mentor of Kings XI Punjab, in a Facebook Live interaction made the official announcement introduced the new captain of the franchise in the upcoming season.

Ashwin, who was bought by the franchise for Rs 7.6 crore, was preferred by the team management over local boy Yuvraj Singh. Talking about Yuvraj, Sehwag revealed the former's name cropped up during the discussion but the management settled down on Ashwin because he could be a long-term solution.

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In the Facebook interaction, the Nawab of Najafgarh revealed, "90% of our fans were saying Yuvraj Singh was the best choice. But I was looking at someone different. I always thought that a bowler should be made the captain because I was a big fan of Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, and Kapil Dev. They did very well for their teams."

"I thought a bowler would be the best candidate for our team's captaincy. Yuvraj Singh was also there in our minds. But a lot of votes from our support staff and owners went to Ashwin," he added further.

"There was also talk in the management about making Yuvraj captain. Yuvraj is a great friend, but in cricketing matters, you keep friendships aside and we all felt Ashwin will be a great leader for us," said Sehwag.

Ashwin, who has been an integral part of Chennai Super Kings (CSK), said he is honoured to have been given the responsibility of leading the franchise and he'll try to get the best out of the team.

"I am confident of bringing out the best out of teammates. This is indeed a proud moment for me."

"There is no additional pressure on me as such. I first led my state side in first-class cricket when I was 21. I have done it in the past and I am sure that I will enjoy the challenge, One thing for sure I will not predictable as captain," said Ashwin.

Yuvraj led the franchise in the inaugural season and the team made it to the semi-finals under the southpaw. He has so far played for IPL sides Sahara Pune Warriors (now defunct), Royal Challengers Bangalore, Delhi Daredevils and Sunrisers Hyderabad. The 37-year-old was bought by KXIP for base-price of Rs 2 crore during IPL Auction 2017.