Yuvraj Singh and his glittering career on the decline as he records his worst ever IPL season

The Indian Premier League (IPL) has been a platform for players to come up with consistent performances and take a positive step in their career. Out of form players use the IPL as an opportunity to regain their touch and reclaim their spot in the national side. While the IPL is known to build careers of several cricketers, it has also seen players falling down the pecking order in the national circuit.

There are very few things worse than seeing Yuvraj Singh struggle on the cricket field. The man who played key roles in taking India to two World Cups is severely out of form and is finding it difficult to regain his lost touch. Yuvraj Singh’s fans will be very disappointed with him as the veteran had an IPL to forget with the Kings XI Punjab. Yuvraj did not bowl nor made any significant contribution with the bat throughout the length of the IPL.

Good things come to an end

Yuvraj Singh, at his prime, was a nightmare for the opposition. There were very few players who hit the ball as cleanly as Yuvraj did and his bowling was more than handy on several occasions. When he was not bowling, he torched the turf in the point region with an infectious zeal, a rare quality in an Indian squad not then known for their agility.

It looks as if we have lost the old Yuvraj who could single-handedly turn the game on its head. He hasn’t had convincing seasons with any of the franchises over the past few years. His stints with Kings XI Punjab, Pune Warriors, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Delhi Daredevils have been underwhelming. In the current IPL, Yuvraj has been switching from warming the bench to getting out cheaply during crunch situations. He has managed to score just 65 runs in six innings which is nowhere close to what was expected of him.

The spectacular flourish that became his trademark has been replaced by tentative jabs at the ball or fatal pre-determined shots. His repeated failures to roll back the years have evoked mixed emotions in a cricket-mad country like India. The legend feels that he might just have another year in him.“ I’ve been playing international cricket since 2000. It has been almost 17-18 years on and off. So, I will definitely take a call after 2019,” Yuvraj said last month.

It is disheartening to see the man who hit six sixes in an over in ICC T20 World Cup in such a situation. Has Yuvraj lost the magic? Is it time to move on? Such questions need to be answered soon.

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