Yuvraj Singh has his say- Indian Cricket team legend has criticized his state IPL franchise for making bad decisions. This was particularly during his time at the club. One of the greatest cricketers in white-ball cricket did not have the best of records. That is when it comes to the Indian Premier League. After some iconic performances for India in the inaugural edition of ICC T20 World Cup in 2007, the Men in Blue became World Champions.
It was no surprise that his price would be on the higher side in the auction of the first edition of Indian Premier League. This was back in 2008 when Rajasthan Royals won the inaugural edition. Rightly so, Yuvraj’s state franchise Kings XI Punjab did not make it late to capture his signing.
The Comments By Yuvraj Singh-
However, the expectations did not match the outcome a few years later when the prolific middle-order batsman left without winning the trophy for Punjab.
Later on, he claimed that it was disappointing for him not to win the IPL for his state team Kings XI. However, some of that burden should go to the poor team management who did not respect Yuvi’s demands of players. Yuvraj was made the captain for Kings XI from the start. His team even reached the semi-finals in the very first edition as well.
However, poor results forced the franchise to drop him as a captain. They made Sri Lankan legend and wicket-keeper batsman Kumar Sangakara the captain of their team later on.
“I wanted to run away from Kings XI Punjab. The management didn’t like me there. They did nothing I asked them to do and when I left they bought all the players I had been asking them to. I love Punjab but I did not like the running of the franchise” – Yuvraj Singh.
What He Concluded By Saying?
Since leaving Punjab, Yuvraj had some brilliant individual performances for Pune Supergiants and Royal Challengers Bangalore. Despite that, arguably that was not consistent enough for him to help his sides win the silverware. After scoring just 2750 runs in 132 games with an average of just 24, Yuvraj Singh’s career in the IPL is surely not something to be proud of.
Yuvraj announced his retirement from international cricket in June 2019. In a recent interview for Timesnownews.com, Yuvraj was asked about the current situation of Cricket after the Coronavirus pandemic. He said that the players will now have to be more focused because of a long gap from the game.
“The definition of normal will change in the post-pandemic world. While things will start unlocking as per the direction of the authorities, it is each individual’s responsibility to take precautionary measures for the benefit of self and others. As a sportsman, I believe, one needs to be completely focused and in their best shape and minds. The fear of coronavirus is an added pressure for a cricketer when on the field and that can interfere with your mindset. Hence, there will be a lot of stress on keeping the players and team safe whether it’s on or off the field including dressing or locker rooms. There are very relevant regulations being implemented by ICC in mitigating the risks posed by the COVID-19 virus. This will definitely be beneficial in safeguarding the health of players and match officials.”
