Yuvraj Singh has revealed how he was backed to the hilt by Virat Kohli during his last international comeback but it was MS Dhoni, who informed the left-handed batsman that he was not in the mix for India’s 2019 World Cup plans. Yuvraj last played for India during the tour of West Indies in 2017. Earlier that year in January, Yuvraj made his final comeback into the Indian team during the ODI series against England and smashed a career-best 150 in Cuttack.
Yuvraj was part of the India’s squad for the 2017 Champions Trophy where his only significant contribution was a knock of 53 against Pakistan and announced his retirement last year during the World Cup in England.
“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.”
Missing the bus to the 2019 World Cup meant that Yuvraj, who was named Man of the Series in the 2011 World Cup, would not make it to back-to-back World Cups. In 2015, Yuvraj, struggling with poor form, missed being part of India’s squad for the mega-event, and despite scoring three Ranji Trophy hundreds on the trot in the lead up to the World Cup, the BCCI omitted him. That said, Yuvraj insisted he never had any complaints from Dhoni
“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.”
