‘Had he not backed me then I wouldn’t have made a comeback’ – Yuvraj Singh heaps praise on former India skipper for international comeback

Yuvraj Singh. (Photo Source: Parveen Kumar/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)

Yuvraj Singh called time on his illustrious career on June 10, 2019. He finished with 40 Tests, 304 ODIs, and 58 T20Is under his belt, and was also a part of India’s Under-19 World Cup triumph in 2000, ICC Champions Trophy (shared with Sri Lanka) 2000 success, T20 World Cup 2007 glory, and the 2011 50-overs World Cup victory. 

Yuvraj’s contributions in India’s T20 World Cup win in 2007 and the same during the 2011 World Cup will remain etched in the memories of cricket fans forever.

Yuvraj, who fought cancer and stepped back onto the cricket field, revealed in a recent interview, how then-captain Virat Kohli supported him when he made a comeback in the side in 2017. Yuvraj wanted to play in the 2019 World Cup but was dropped from the side, shortly after the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy. The southpaw mentioned how MS Dhoni brought to his notice that the selectors were not considering him for the 2019 World Cup.

“When I made my comeback, Virat Kohli supported me. Had he not backed me then I wouldn’t have made a comeback. But then it was Dhoni who showed me the correct picture about the 2019 World Cup that selectors are not looking at you,” Yuvraj told News18. “He showed me the real picture. He gave me clarity. He did as much as he could.”

Till the 2011 World Cup, MS had a lot of confidence in me: Yuvraj Singh

Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni had some memorable partnerships for India. Dhoni also brought the best out of Yuvraj’s part-time bowling – thereby utilising his lesser-known talent to the team’s benefit. Under Dhoni’s leadership, Yuvraj went on to take 15 wickets in the 2011 World Cup.

A vital cog in the Indian team till 2011, Yuvraj found it difficult to replicate the same performances after making a comeback from cancer. The 41-year-old reminisced how Dhoni would tell him that he is his “main player”. However, things changed post the 2011 World Cup.

“Till the 2011 World Cup, MS had a lot of confidence in me and used to tell me that ‘you are my main player’,” Yuvraj said. “But after coming back from illness the game changed and a lot of changes happened in the team. So as far as the 2015 World Cup is concerned, you can’t really pinpoint at something. So this is a very personal call.

“So I understood that as a captain sometimes you can’t justify everything because at the end of the day you have to see how the country performs,” Yuvraj said.