Yuvraj Singh may be replaced as captain of the Kings XI Punjab for the Indian Premier League's third season, team sources said on Tuesday. But when contacted by The Indian Express, the team's new CEO Anil Srivatsa refused to confirm or deny the story. "We will be issuing a press release in the next couple of days," he said.

In Nagpur, Yuvraj's team mate Kumar Sangakkara was asked about the development and said that it was news to him. However, he added that he wasn't too keen to lead the side even if an offer was made. "I already have my hands full with the Sri Lankan team. And I believe than an Indian franchise will benefit more from an Indian captain. Kings XI Punjab is a great team to play for and Yuvraj Singh is a great cricketer and a good captain."

The IPL franchise is co-owned by Preity Zinta, Ness Wadia and Mohit Burman. Wadia, Burman or Yuvraj could not be contacted despite several attempts.

Improved performance

With Yuvraj at the helm, the team had started off poorly in the first season, losing their first two games. They then went on a run however, winning nine of their next 10 games to make the semi-finals, where they lost to Chennai Super Kings. Last season, they won seven and lost seven games, failing to make the last four.

Apart from Yuvraj and Sangakkara, the other senior members are Mahela Jayawardene, Simon Katich, Irfan Pathan and Sreesanth.