Former Indian all-rounder Yuvraj Singh opened up on his life after retirement, saying that he feels "relaxed" like never before. Yuvraj announced his retirement in 2019 and only featured in the Global T20 League in Canada post the announcement.
He last appeared on the cricket field during a charity match for Australian Bushfires relief earlier this year.
“The day I retired, I felt free. Obviously it was an emotional moment, I can’t put it in words but I felt really free. I hadn’t slept properly for years, I started to sleep well. I feel so relaxed now,” said Yuvraj in a conversation with Gaurav Kapur.
“I had gotten to a stage where cricket was not helping me mentally. I was just dragging myself, and thinking when do I retire, should I retire?” Yuvraj added.
Yuvraj said that while he does miss the game sometimes, he knows he has played for many years and that he feels at peace.
“When you’re at a fast pace in life you don’t realise a lot of things and suddenly you’re like oh what’s happened here. I’m sitting at home for two-three months obviously for different reasons. I think you also realise how much family time you missed," said the former Indian all-rounder. (ALSO READ: On this day: Virat Kohli makes Test debut against Windies)
“I do miss the game sometimes but not a lot because I’ve played for so many years. I get so many messages from fans, I feel very blessed. More than anything, the respect the game has given me is what I feel proud of,” Yuvraj added.
Yuvraj appeared in 40 Tests, 304 ODIs and 58 T20Is for India, playing a key role in the side's T20 World Cup triumph in 2007 and the ODI World Cup win in 2011. In the latter, Yuvraj was also named the Man of the Tournament.
Talking about his Global T20 League post the international retirement, Yuvraj said that he had fun playing in Canada. He captained Toronto Nationals in the 2019 season, finishing third in the table.
“I had a lot of fun playing in Canada. I learnt more about Punjab from Canada, I guess. I didn’t even feel that I was away from Punjab,” said Yuvraj.
