Yuvraj Singh: Have we already seen the last of him?
Yuvraj Singh's journey from a talented cricketer, who was always at the pinnacle of the best in the game to someone who is hardly seen in the national jersey over the last few years is as dramatic as it can get. It is certain that years down the line, Yuvraj Singh will be remembered as one of the greatest cricketers to have played the game. But the mere irony that the Man of the Tournament winner in India's emphatic World Cup 2011 victory is no longer in the Indian side despite great knocks whenever he is given a chance, makes a lot of sports enthusiast feel sad about the legend.
Over time, the popular opinion about Yuvraj has always been about one more chance. Another chance so that the fan favorite who only dealt in sixes could prove to everybody that there is still a lot of cricket left in him.
It wasn't that long ago that he was compared to the likes of Jonty Rhodes as he covered the field, to the likes of greatest hitters when the ball would go sailing over the fence. Yuvraj's explosive innings against the England cricket team in the T20 World Cup in 2007 still carries lots of memories for everybody who witnessed the game, including Stuart Broad. Yuvraj's aggression on the field, his style, charisma and the way he carried himself even in the mid-2000's showed a lot about his character on the field. Something we have appreciated about Virat Kohli in recent years.
When we look at all these things, one wonders if the man was made for cricket. But Yuvraj Singh's story tells a different tale. Yuvraj Singh was born in a Sikh Family to Yograj Singh, a former Cricketer. "Like Father, Like Son," might have been something that Yograj Singh might have thought about. Yuvraj Singh was never really interested in cricket, his favorite sport growing up were Tennis and Roller Skating. He had also won the National Under-14 Roller Skating Championship. But this is not what Yograj Singh wanted Yuvraj to pursue his career in and Yograj Singh threw away all the medals that his son Yuvraj had earned and asked him to concentrate on cricket alone.
In another universe, Yuvraj Singh might have been a great tennis player or living a satisfied life as a roller skater, but Yograj Singh had other plans. Yuvraj Singh received daily training from his father who wanted Navjot Singh Siddhu to train him. After Siddhu made his mind about disinterested Yuvraj Singh and that he could never become a cricketer, Yograj Singh decided to train his son on his own.
Fast-forward 10 years and Yuvraj Singh was making headlines. From winning the U19 World Cup to being a high scorer in the 2007 T20 World Cup, Yuvraj Singh had become one of the very players to have won two World Cups.
A lot has been said that cancer took a toll on the former champion, but Yuvraj himself believed that it was just a break from cricket. His inability to perform in the IPL has been seen as a strong enough opinion to the very idea why he might never make it to the national side. But there are other aspects as well.
After being selected in the national side for the Champions Trophy 2017, where he played a sensational knock of 53 against Pakistan and won the man of the match, Yuvraj also got selected in the Sri Lankan tour of 2017.
However owing to failure in the Yo-Yo Test, he coudn't join the team and hence resulting in what can be called as the end to his international career. In the domestic arena, Yuvraj Singh continues to entertain his fans in the Punjab squad in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.