In a candid revelation, Yuvraj Singh admitted that he was not very clear about his future with India in the latter years of his career before MS Dhoni stepped in to offer an honest perspective.
In an interview with Vikrant Gupta on the SportsTak podcast, Yuvraj said that players nearing the end of their careers, especially those who have contributed significantly to Indian cricket, deserve clarity about their status in the team.
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The conversation also moved to the future Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma ahead of ODI World Cup 2027. Yuvraj emphasized that the team management and selectors must take the initiative and communicate clearly with the senior players, no matter how difficult those conversations may be.
“I feel those who are at the end of their career need clarity. I didn’t understand it, neither did Zaheer Khan, Virender Sehwag or Harbhajan Singh. The captain, coach or selector, whoever it is, should sit down with the player and explain how he sees things. The conversation may not go well, but at least an effort is being made,” Yuvraj said.
NO CLARITY ABOUT MY FUTURE
Yuvraj Singh played in three ICC 50-over World Cups in 2003, 2007 and 2011 and was the player of the tournament in India’s winning campaign at home nine years ago. He played while suffering from cancer during the spectacular event and helped India lift the trophy after 28 years on April 2.
After the World Cup, Yuvraj was diagnosed with a rare germ cell lung cancer for which he underwent chemotherapy in Boston. Most of the cricketing fraternity believed that this was the end of his career, but a few months later he made a successful comeback to the national team.
However, the latter stages of his career were marked by inconsistency and a lack of opportunities. He eventually fell out of favor with the selectors and team management, which limited his chances in the side.
He missed the 2015 and 2019 World Cups during this difficult phase, despite not doing too badly in the blue shirt. Yuvraj even managed to register his highest individual score of 150 against England in Cuttack in an ODI, shortly before being dropped by the selectors again.
Two years later, after remaining on the sidelines, Yuvraj finally announced his retirement from international cricket.
Yuvraj said the lack of communication during this phase left him unsure about his next steps.
“For example, when I went through my own situation, I was not clear. It was not clear from the National Cricket Academy or from the captain or the coach. I was stuck at 36, I went on to 37 and wondered what to do next. At least if someone has played that much cricket, he deserves respect,” Yuvraj said.
During this period of uncertainty, he revealed that talking to MS Dhoni helped him gain perspective.
“I spoke to MS Dhoni. We spoke on the phone. He gave me the right perspective. He had nothing to gain but he saw what was happening,” Yuvraj said.
Despite the uncertainty, Yuvraj maintained that he is willing to fight for his place and meet the standards set by the team management.
“I was told that if I couldn’t pass the fitness test I should consider retiring. I said I would decide to retire myself. I passed the fitness test and then it was up to them if they wanted to pick me or not. If not, I would move on. I wasn’t enjoying my game at that point either,” he added.
Yuvraj’s experience underscores his belief that players in the final stages of their careers deserve clarity, even if the conversations are difficult.
Looking ahead to the future of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma ahead of the 2027 ODI World Cup, Yuvraj stressed that clear communication from the team management and selectors remains crucial to avoid similar situations for the next generation of players.
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Issued by:
Amar Panicker
Published on:
03 Apr 2026 18:08 IST
