Yuvraj Singh bids farewell to international cricket

India’s hero at the 2007 T20 World Cup and the 2011 World Cup, Yuvraj Singh has announced his retirement from international cricket. The maverick southpaw made the announcement at a press conference in Mumbai.

The all-rounder said in an emotional statement at the press conference:

“After 25 years in and around the 22 yards and almost 17 years of international cricket on and off, I have decided to move on. This game taught me how to fight, how to fall, to dust off, to get up again and move forward.”

In an incredible career, Yuvraj made his debut for India in 2000. He played 40 Test matches for India, scoring 1900 runs with 3 centuries. He also picked up 9 wickets.

But it was in the limited-overs formats, where he emerged as one of the finest players which the country has ever produced. He played 304 ODIs for India, scoring 8701 runs with 14 centuries. He was also a very serviceable bowling option picking up 111 wickets. He was India’s star performer during their 2011 World Cup triumph, winning the man-of-the-series award for scoring 362 runs and picking up 15 wickets.

He was also a devastating force in T20 cricket, with his 6 sixes in an over against Stuart Broad when India faced England at the 2007 T20 World Cup in Durban becoming a part of folklore. Overall, he played 58 matches scoring 1177 runs and picking up 28 wickets.

A massively popular figure among the Indian cricket fans, Yuvraj earned further respect from all over the globe after it was revealed that he was fighting against initial stages of cancer during the 2011 World Cup. Like the dogged fighter he has always been, he fought off the disease and made a comeback in 2012.