Yuvraj Singh: Talking to Sachin always makes things easier

Yuvraj Singh, who top-scored with 53 in MI's 37-run defeat to Delhi Capitals, says the last two years of his career have been a testing phase that needed top-notch advice to survive

Yuvraj Singh is known for his match-winning abilities, given his valuable contributions in the 2007 World T20 and 2015 ICC World Cup that helped India win both the prestigious trophies. However, the last couple of years have not exactly been fruitful for the stylish left-hander.

Experience over youth

On Sunday, Mumbai Indians (MI) picked Yuvraj, 37, over younger batsmen like Anmolpreet Singh, Evin Lewis and Anukul Roy, for the match against Delhi Capitals and the southpaw proved his mettle with a 35-ball 53, albeit in a losing cause (MI lost by 37 runs).

Yuvraj walked out to bat on his new home ground, the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday, on the back of just 73 runs which he managed from four T20 games in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy tournament recently — his highest in the tournament being just 34 runs.

Sachin Tendulkar

Prior to that, Yuvraj managed just 99 runs in five Ranji Trophy matches played across November and December last year. "The last two years have been up and down for me. I could not decide on what to do. The main thing was [asking myself] why I was playing the game," Yuvraj said in a post-match press conference on Sunday, going on to reveal how he got over his hardships.

"When the time comes, I will be the first to hang up my boots. I have been speaking to Sachin [Tendulkar]. He has gone through this when he was 37, 38 or 39. Talking to him always makes things easier for me. I'm just playing because I enjoy playing cricket. I just took my time there [against Delhi Capitals]. I am happy with the way I was hitting the ball. The most important thing is winning the game, but obviously we will learn from our mistakes," added Yuvraj.

Lack of partnerships

So what went wrong against DC? "Losing Rohit [Sharma] early was one of the reasons. [Quinton] De Kock was going well, but we lost his wicket. Then [Kieron] Pollard came and we quickly lost his wicket too. We just couldn't get our partnerships in. I think the reason was not bowling well and not getting our partnerships and that's why we lost the game," Yuvraj concluded.

Catch up on all the latest T20 news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

"Exciting news! Mid-day is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!