Yuvraj Singh’s gut feeling to play for Mumbai Indians turns out to be true

Yuvraj Singh who was recently the talk of the town after he was bought in a late bid by Mumbai Indians said he hadn't expected to be sold in the very first round but was hopeful of a buyer showing up.

The 2011 World Cup winner who was left out of the Kings XI Punjab squad in the Indian Premier League Season 11 had got his fans doubting whether he would be able to fetch a buyer in the IPL 2019 Auction.

“There was no disappointment as such because I had an idea that I would not be picked in the first round,” the southpaw said. “The reason is obvious, when you are putting together an IPL team, you will be looking at the youngsters. I am at that stage of my career where it could be presumed that I may be in the last stages of my career. I had hoped that there would be a buyer for me in the last round.”

The 37-year-old left-handed batsman who hasn't featured much in domestic cricket this season and has also been out of the national team could add the final nail in the coffin if he fails to performance well at the IPL.

When speaking about the Mumbai Indians bid, he said that he had a gut feeling that he would get a chance to play for MI and the feeling of joining the Rohit Sharma-led franchise couldn't have been better.

“Somewhere within me there was a feeling that I might go to Mumbai… frankly I am looking for an opportunity to play this year and I am happy that it has come. Akash (Ambani) had said some nice things about me and it feels good to have such confidence,” Yuvraj added.

The moment we’ve all been waiting for!

Mr. Yuvraj Singh in the MI Blue and Gold #CricketMeriJaan @YUVSTRONG12 pic.twitter.com/Pt9lIkad2e

— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) December 19, 2018

When asked about his performance at Kings XI Punjab last term – where he managed to score just 65 runs in 8 matches – he said that the batting position change was a major factor as he was unable to settle for a specific role.

“Agreed, that the last season was not great. But the point was I played at different positions in four-five games. I was not given one position to bat. This year I am very keen to make the best of the opportunity that will comes my way,” he said.

Yuvraj is all set to have a reunion at the Mumbai Indians dugout having played with Zaheer Khan, Sachin Tendulkar and Rohit Sharma in the Indian cricket team. The trio might play a vital role in Yuvi’s batting form.

“It will also be a very familiar environment for me because Zak (coach Zaheer Khan), Sachin (Tendulkar, the mentor) and Rohit (Sharma, the captain) are there. I have played a lot of cricket with them. I am looking forward to playing with them again. When you have the support, it motivates you to do well, it brings out the best in you.”

With a few months left for the IPL season to begin, Yuvraj still has a chance to sharpen his batting skills with two major tournaments lined up for him.

“I have a couple of Ranji games coming up and then there will be the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy. It will be a good preparation for me. The good thing is that I will have a lot of match-time in the build-up to the IPL.”

The cricketer isn't ruling out his chances to return to the national team with claims that he is very eager to put on a good show for the Punjab state team.

“Hopefully in this season I will be able to deliver. There is fire in the belly, I am keen to be competitive. The hunger is there, I am not playing for the sake of playing. I am playing because I want to play and I am passionate about playing. I will take a call after the 2019 World Cup. I will take stock about where my life is headed. At the moment the next three four months are crucial for me in cricket. I want to just focus on that,” he added.