Yuvraj Singh reflects on his retirement call (Source: @CricCrazyJohns/x.com)
India have never been short of cricketing talent, but beyond all those immortal legends, Yuvraj Singh stands out as a true warrior, battling challenges both on and off the field. The phenomenal all-rounder, who defeated cancer and made a triumphant return to cricket, left fans puzzled with his sudden farewell from the game.
Recently, he ended all the speculation as he dropped some bombshells about his retirement. Speaking on a podcast with Sania Mirza, he revealed that a lack of support and respect played a crucial role in his retirement.
Yuvraj Singh reveals shocking truth behind his retirement
When the world looked for Sachin Tendulkar’s heir, Virat Kohli rose to the occasion. When India looked for Rahul Dravid’s replacement, Cheteshwar Pujara became his true successor. But years passed, and finding a talent like Yuvraj Singh is still a missing piece in India’s puzzle.
The exceptional all-rounder, who even beat cancer, walked out of the game astonishingly in 2019. In the 2011 World Cup, he was one of the main warriors in that trophy win. But when he returned to the game again, it was not the same thing.
Years passed since then, but the legend remained silent on his retirement. Recently, he broke the silence as he addressed that call in a recent podcast with the legendary Tennis player Sania Mirza. Looking back on the decision, Yuvraj Singh revealed that a lack of respect and support ultimately pushed him to make the tough call.
“I was not enjoying my game. I had a feeling that why am I playing cricket when I’m not enjoying it? I was not feeling supported. I was not feeling respected. And I felt, why do I need to do this when I don’t have this?” he said.
“Why am I lingering on to something that I’m not enjoying? Why do I need to play? To prove what? I can’t do more than this, mentally or physically, and it was hurting me. And the day I stopped, I was myself again,” he added.
Yuvraj Singh breaks silence on early criticism
Over the years, the world witnessed Yuvraj Singh’s jaw-dropping brilliance as the all-rounder showcased excellence with both bat and ball. But the early days were far from easy, as doubts over his talent shadowed him, with former Indian player Navjot Singh Sidhu among the skeptics. In the recent interaction, he addressed that issue.
“Now, when I look back at it, I just think he (Navjot) didn’t have the time to have a proper look at me. He was just like being nice to my dad. Then obviously, he was playing for India at that time, so he probably would have said that. I was 13-14 at that time, just figuring out a sport. I don’t take it personally, but my father took it personally,” he said.
Yuvraj Singh - the finest all-rounder of India
In the game of cricket, all-rounders are the real treasure of the sport, and not just in Indian cricket, even in world cricket, an all-rounder like Yuvraj Singh is rare. From picking crucial wickets to scoring quick runs, the all-rounder did it all. In 40 Tests, he scored 1900 runs and secured 9 wickets.
In the limited-over cricket, the all-rounder was a whole different beast. In 304 ODIs, he scored 8701 runs along with 111 wickets. In 58 T20Is, he scored 1177 runs with 28 wickets. His dominance wasn’t limited to international cricket either, as he piled up 2,750 runs in 132 matches elsewhere. Years have passed, and chapters have turned, but Team India is still searching for an all-rounder who could fill the void left by Yuvraj Singh.
