Since the selectors have constantly overlooked veteran batsman Yuvraj Singh from India’s limited-overs setup, there were plenty of speculations circulating in the media concerning his retirement from the international arena. However, Yuvraj has busted all sorts of myth saying that the motivation to represent India is still there.
In an exclusive interview with Sportstar, Yuvi stated that he is eyeing to play two-three more seasons of IPL. The southpaw will play for his home-based franchise Kings Xi Punjab in the next edition of Indian Premier League. He entered into the auction ring with a base price of INR 2 crore and KXIP had retained him by expending the same amount.
“I don’t want to leave the game with any regret, thinking I should have played for some more years. I want to go when I feel it is the right time to go, when I feel I have done my best and I could not have done any more than this. I am still playing because I am enjoying playing cricket, not just because I have to play for India or I have to play the IPL. The motivation is definitely to play for India. I feel two or three IPLs are left in me,” Yuvraj told Sportstar.
“The journey has been nice. I have been a fighter, taking on tough situations. I like being a pillar of strength to people, for those suffering from cancer or going through other issues in life. I want to be known as someone who never gave up. Whether I play for India or not, I will give my 100 per cent on the field,” he added.
Yuvraj has represented Kings XI Punjab, Pune Warrirors India, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Delhi Daredevils and Sunrisers Hyderabad in the past. When asked about the changes he has experienced in the last 10 seasons of IPL, the 36-year-old said: “Earlier, teams were batsman-heavy. The franchises would spend more money on batsmen who could also bowl. It has changed now. They want to spend on bowlers as well. The pace of the game has changed and the bowlers are as important as the batsmen. AB de Villiers has taken the game to a new level. Players are playing more dynamic shots. People have got better at their game.”
Talking about his future after the retirement, Yuvi made it clear that he would work for the betterment of the society through his charity organization – YouWeCan.
“Commentating is not my forte. Cancer (YouWeCan Foundation) is going to be my area of work in the future. I love supporting young kids, I like interacting with the younger generation. Coaching is in my mind. I would identify underprivileged kids and focus on their sport and education. Education is as important as sport. You need to focus on both. Sport should not come at the cost of education,” Yuvraj concluded.
The left-hander may have faced a downfall in the recent time, but still has a lot to deliver. In 120 IPL matches he has played, Yuvraj has scored 2587 runs with an average of 25.61 and a strike rate of 131.18.
