Yuvraj Singh set to miss first two weeks of IPL

The uncertainty surrounding Yuvraj Singh’s availability for the Sunrisers Hyderabad’s opening game against Royal Challengers Bangalore on April 12 was cleared on Thursday after Tom Moody confirmed that the all-rounder will miss at least the first two weeks of the Indian Premier League.

"Sadly, Yuvraj will be out for a couple of weeks but we don't know how long that is going to be," Moody said while speaking to IPLT20.com on his team's chances this season.

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Sunrisers Hyderabad bought Yuvraj Singh for Rs. 7 Crore in the auction in February after Delhi Daredevils released the swashbuckling all-rounder after a solitary season. Moody said that a match-winner like Yuvraj Singh is an asset to any team, and they specifically targeted him in the auction.

"A player like Yuvraj Singh is important to any team. He is not only a match-winner with the bat but he is a very useful bowler in those middle overs," he said.

"Going into the auction, we were aware that we needed to strengthen our middle order. Hence, we targeted players like Yuvraj and Deepak Hooda to give us that depth in our middle order and they compliment what we already have in our squad.

“What we are aware of this year is building a great depth and strength in our squad and by securing people like Aditya Tare, Tirumalasetti Suman who has had a lot of IPL experience in the past, we feel that we have got that depth of talent to be able to cover for any circumstance and Yuvraj's absence is one of them. With Yuvraj being injured at this stage, you don't know what is around the corner - you need that depth in the squad," Moody told IPLT20.com. 

(Also, read about the uncertainity surrounding Malinga's availabilty for the IPL)