Not a captain anymore but Yuvraj matters

He may not be the captain anymore but the aura of Yuvraj Singh surpasses that of all other players in the Kings XI Punjab.
Whether the local hero is zipping around in his yellow BMW sports car, shooting for a team promo or playing snooker with co-owner Preity Zinta, he is the centre of attraction.
Naturally, he holds the key to his side's fortune in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
"When one is a captain, one has to think of many things. But when you bat, you just want to bat through the innings and score runs for the team," Yuvraj says, trying to hide the disappointment of being removed as the captain. "This IPL, I will play for Kings XI Punjab as a team member. I want to keep scoring runs for the team."
Yuvraj, who grew up in the city, led the team in the first two editions of the tournament. In the first edition, the team lost in the semifinal. But in South African last year, it couldn't make it to the top four.
Yuvraj has played 29 IPL matches and scored 639 runs at a staggering strike rate of 133. He continues to be the most threatening player in the entire tournament.
As the interview is going on, a young fan requests him to hit six sixes in an over in the IPL. "I cannot assure you six sixes, but I will try my level best to repeat it," he replies.
At present, Yuvraj is recovering from an injury he suffered in Bangladesh in January. He tore a ligament in his left wrist and missed the second Test match against Bangladesh and the series against South Africa.
A few days ago, he was in Australia for treatment. "I am feeling fine after the treatment in Australia. But I am not sure whether I will play in the first match," he says.
Long list of injured but team readyOne of the major concerns of Kings XI Punjab ahead of IPL's third season is the long injury list. The team's main strike bowler Brett Lee has just recovered from an elbow injury. Irfan Pathan and S Sreesanth are also recovering from injuries.
The new captain, meanwhile, is upbeat about his new role.
"I enjoy every form of cricket. I love to compete and face challenges. Players like Yuvraj, Brett and Mahela Jayawardene make it easy for us. The only real catalyst for the team's success is performance. We have a nice mix of international and domestic cricketers," Kumara Sangakkara, who led the Sri Lankan team for three years, said.
On players' injuries, he said: "We would love to have Yuvraj and Lee playing all the matches. At the same time, I guess that won't be the case. But once you accept that fact, it becomes a lot easier to move on. We have lots of options, but the important thing is that we make the right choices at the right time."
Strict dos and don'ts to maintain discipline in standsIn order to maintain discipline in the stands during the matches in Mohali and Dharamshala, management of Kings XI Punjab is strictly adhering to the International Cricket Council's anti-racism code. "Spectators are reminded that racially abusive comments and actions will result in ejection from the ground and possible action such as criminal prosecution, identification by way of photographing and/or capturing by video camera and imposition of life-bans," an information brochure are being given with tickets says.