![Yuvraj Singh blames Virat Kohli for his retirement [Source: AFP]](https://onecricketnews.akamaized.net/parth-editor/oc-dashboard/news-images-prod/1775212430294_YuvrajSinghblamesViratKohliforhisretirement.jpg?type=hq)
Yuvraj Singh blames Virat Kohli for his retirement [Source: AFP]
In the last 25 years in Indian cricket, few have left a lasting impression like the dynamic Yuvraj Singh. He made his India debut in the Champions Trophy event in 2000, and immediately became a household name after a match-winning knock against Australia.
Since then, Yuvraj became an integral part of the Indian white-ball side, and he was the point of difference in two ICC tournaments for his nation. Yuvraj tore apart the bowlers in the 2007 T20 World Cup, and four years later, he became the Player of the Tournament in the 2011 World Cup.
Yuvraj Singh's last wish that was never fulfilled
However, despite achieving massive cricketing success, Yuvraj Singh still has a pain in his heart. The southpaw gave everything for his nation, even battling Cancer to help India win the 2011 World Cup, but in the end, it didn’t matter as he never got a chance to retire the way he wanted to.
Post his comeback after the Cancer treatment, the 44-year-old was certainly not the same batter as the treatment took a toll on his body. However, he was still winning matches for India, and the left-handed batter had one last wish: To play in the 2019 World Cup.
Even at the age of 36, 37, Yuvraj was India's best middle-order player, but he was snubbed by the selectors for the marquee event in 2019.
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Yuvraj takes dig at Kohli, Shastri, thanks MS Dhoni
The batter last played an ODI in 2017, and in that year, he amassed 372 runs in 11 matches, with a strike rate of 98.67. Despite scoring heavily, he never got clarity on his World Cup future from the then India captain, Virat Kohli, and coach, Ravi Shastri.
The legendary player eventually announced his retirement on June 10, 2019, but that was a tough decision to make for the former India cricketer. In a recent interview with Sports Tak, Yuvraj revealed that the management and the captain (Shastri and Kohli) gave him zero clarity on his future, and on the other hand, it was MS Dhoni, who helped him understand things better.
“I had zero clarity from the NCA, captain, and the coach. I was like… I am stuck. I am 36, going on 37. What do I do? At least give some respect for playing so long.
So I spoke to MS Dhoni. He gave me the right perspective that this is the reality. He wasn’t the captain or directly involved, but he was watching what was going on. That helped me understand things better.
From there, I got clarity. I was told that if I couldn’t pass the fitness test, I should retire. I said I will decide when to retire. I passed the test now you decide if you want me or not. If not, then I’m off," Yuvraj said.
Were Kohli and Shastri right to not pick Yuvraj for 2019 World Cup?
In 2013, Yuvraj played 18 ODI matches, and he struggled for rhythm as he scored just 276 runs, with an average of 19.71. For the next four years, the former World Cup winner was neglected by the team management before he made his return in 2017.
By that age, he was not the same player anymore, but he still produced key performances. However, the captain-coach duo of Kohli and Shastri felt that India needed fresh legs for the 2029 World Cup in England, and eventually they tried out a plethora of options.
This was the same move that MS Dhoni did before the 2015 World Cup. He omitted the likes of Gautam Gambhir and Harbhajan Singh from the squad, as he wanted youngsters. In this regard, the Indian management wasn’t wrong in neglecting Yuvraj from the World Cup team.
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