Yuvraj Singh considering international retirement, might play in T20 leagues
India's swashbuckling batsman Yuvraj Singh is pondering over retiring from international cricket to eye a stint in foreign T20 leagues. Yuvraj, who was a part of India's 2011 World Cup winning squad, has faded out of international scenario owing to inconsistent performance. Even though Yuvraj was a part of Mumbai Indians which won the 2019 IPL, he didn't get much game time. Here's more.
Yuvraj aiming to become a freelance
As a result of getting only a couple of IPL games this term, Yuvraj is eyeing international retirement to pursue a freelance career. This would allow him to participate in the ICC approved T20 leagues. While the decision would depend on getting the final approval from the BCCI, Yuvraj understands that his international career with Men In Blue is already over.
Yuvraj has offers from overseas T20 leagues
"He would like to speak to the BCCI and get more clarity on plying his trade in tournaments like GT20 (Canada), Euro T20 Slam in Ireland and Holland as he has offers," a BCCI official quoted to PTI.
BCCI has strict rules regarding Indian players playing foreign leagues
The BCCI has always been strict regarding Indian players' participation in foreign T20 leagues. The BCCI official said that even if Yuvraj decides to retire from First-Class cricket, he would still be a contracted BCCI player in T20s. Notably, Irfan Pathan had registered his name for CPL. However, he was asked to withdraw it since he is an active First-Class cricketer.
Yuvraj has not played international cricket since 2017
As Yuvraj contemplates international retirement, it must be noted that he has not played international cricket since June 2017. Meanwhile, considering his IPL career, he has played just 12 matches in the last two seasons, scoring 163 runs, while his highest score has been 53. Meanwhile, he scored 73 runs in four matches in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2019.
Retired Indian cricketers should be allowed to play foreign T20s
Every cricketer deserves to play competitive cricket. If a cricketer is not getting enough games in India, he should be allowed to play elsewhere to get back on track. Thus, while the author feels that Indian players should not just be restricted to IPL, and international retirement should be enough for them to participate in foreign T20 leagues.
