 "Yuvraj Singh announces retirement from all forms of international cricket after 19-year long career")
Out-of-favour India player Yuvraj Singh announced his retirement from all forms of the game on Monday in Mumbai. The left-handed batsman bid adieu to international cricket with an aggregate of 11,778 runs. He scored 8701 runs in ODIs, 1900 runs in Tests and 1177 runs in T20Is respectively. Not to forget, Yuvraj Singh took 111 wickets in ODIs as well and was Man of the tournament during India’s successful World Cup 2011 campaign.
“After 25 years, in and around 22 yards, and after almost 17 years of international cricket on and off, I have decided to move on,” Yuvraj said. “I am extremely lucky to play 400-plus games for India. I would never have imagined this when I started my career as a cricketer. It was a love-hate relationship with the sport, in retrospect. I don’t think I hated the game, because the love I have for it today, which will remain a constant till the end of [my] life. I can’t really express in words what is that feeling,” said Yuvraj while announcing his retirement. Yuvraj, who debuted for India during ICC Champions Trophy in 2000 against Kenya, last played for the national team in 2017 in an ODI against West Indies at North Sound. Lack of runs and fitness concerns resulted in him being shown the doors by the Indian team and after that he was not able to make a comeback to the national team. However, Yuvraj kept on plying his trade for IPL sides. He has been part of two IPL winning sides in Sunrisers Hyderabad (2016) and Mumbai Indians (2019). The Southpaw has played many brilliant knocks over the years. Indian fans still remember him for that 69-run knock in that famous Natwest Trophy final in 2002 at Lord’s, forming a 121-run stand with Mohammad Kaif, to help India clinch the match and tri-series. In 2007, during the ICC T20 World Cup match against England, Yuvraj hit 6 sixes off Stuart Broad’s over to create history. Yuvraj scored 362 runs in the 2011 ODI World Cup and picked up 15 wickets to end up as Player of the tournament.