Till I enjoy playing cricket, I will play: Yuvraj Singh

Mumbai Indians were blown away by a spectacular onslaught from Rishabh Pant as he smashed 78 off 27 balls to help Delhi Capitals score 99 runs in the last six overs to reach 213/6 at the Wankhede stadium on Sunday. In response, Mumbai Indians floundered and none of the batsmen got going against the discipline of Ishant Sharma, Kagiso Rabada and Trent Boult. However, there was only one player who stood out amidst the ruins and that was Yuvraj Singh. The left-hander was in fine touch as he smashed a fifty off 33 balls but it could not help Mumbai Indians avert a 37-run loss against Delhi Capitals to start their campaign on a wrong note. 

However, the strokes by Yuvraj turned the clock back when he was India’s ultimate match-winner. There have been speculations about Yuvraj Singh’s playing career, which some stating he might retire from all forms of cricket should he not be picked in the Indian squad for the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup. However, following his knock, Yuvraj brushed aside those speculations. 

“When the time comes, I will be the first one to hang my boots. The main thing for me was why I played the game when I started off. I played the game because I enjoyed playing cricket. When I enjoyed playing cricket, I was not playing for India. I was playing for U-14s and U-16s. So till the time, I enjoy playing cricket, I am going to play,” Yuvraj said. 

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The left-hander smashed a fifty off 33 balls and it included five fours and three sixes. The Punjab batsman got going with two fours and a six off left-arm spinner Axar Patel and drilled West Indies pacer Keemo Paul down the ground for a superb boundary. With every run being scored, the Wankhede echoed with the chants of ‘Yuvi,Yuvi,Yuvi’. After clobbering Axar for two more sixes, Yuvraj notched up his fifty by edging Trent Boult to the third man region. 

Yuvraj, though, admitted that he was not sure whether he should carry on playing cricket in the last couple of months. He said speaking to Sachin Tendulkar, who retired at the age of 40 from all forms of cricket, helped him take a clear decision. 

“The last two years, have been up and down and I could not decide on what to do. I have been speaking to Sachin as well and he has gone through that time when he was 37-38-39 . Talking to him makes things easier for me,” Yuvraj said.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Delhi Capitals secured their third straight win over Mumbai Indians.
• Yuvraj Singh scored a fifty on debut for Mumbai Indians.
• Rishabh Pant starred with 78 off 27 balls for Delhi Capitals.