Former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh believes Abhishek Sharma has the qualities to become a leader and could captain the national team in the future.Abhishek is yet to captain an IPL side. He was named Sunrisers Hyderabad’s vice-captain earlier this year, while Ishan Kishan took charge during the first half of the tournament in the absence of Pat Cummins.Yuvraj, who has mentored Abhishek and shares a close bond with the left-handed batter, pointed to the way he encourages younger players as one of the signs of his leadership qualities. He also believes captaining an IPL team can help a player prepare for the India captaincy.“Well, it’s too early to say whether he has the makings of a captain, but I feel he has all the qualities of a leader. I think he encourages the younger guys in state cricket as well. I love the way he encourages Sooryavanshi, puts his hand on his shoulder and motivates him. I think that’s a good sign of a senior leader, whatever you want to call it,” Yuvraj was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz.“If you want to captain India one day, I think it’s important to captain your IPL side. That gives you the kind of confidence you need to lead India. I’m sure time will tell whether he is capable of doing it. If it’s in his destiny, I’m sure he’ll get the opportunity. If not, then so be it. But I’m sure he’ll finish as a great white-ball player, whether he becomes captain or not.”Yuvraj, who was part of India’s 2007 T20 World Cup and 2011 ODI World Cup-winning teams, also backed Abhishek’s inclusion in the national ODI squad. He said the batter’s consistent performances in white-ball cricket should be considered when selectors assess his chances.“Whether he has scored 35, 100 or 31, 100, the point is that he has been performing consistently in white-ball cricket for a very long time. What more he needs to do to get into the ODI squad, I don’t know. Maybe he needs to contribute more with his bowling and fielding. But that will only happen if he gets an opportunity to play,” he said.Yuvraj acknowledged the competition for places in the Indian team but said Abhishek would need an opportunity to show what he can do in the 50-over format. He also referred to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s performances as an example of a young player earning his place in the T20 squad.“There are always areas to improve, and I think unless you give a player a chance, where is he going to showcase his talent? I understand that the situation is difficult right now because there is so much competition for places in the squad, along with some big names. But look at Sooryavanshi. He was brilliant and made his own place in the T20 squad. If you feel that Abhishek is performing brilliantly at the moment, then somewhere you have to make a place for him to play 50-over cricket until the World Cup.”
