Yuvraj Singh will now be playing for Mumbai Indians in IPL 2019.
Veteran all-rounder Yuvraj Singh, who was not picked by any franchise in the first round of the IPL 2019 auction, has revealed that he was not surprised or disappointed by the development.
"There was no disappointment as such because I had an idea that I would not be picked in the first round," Yuvraj told Mumbai Mirror.
"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," he added.
After going unsold in the initial rounds, the 37-year-old was finally bought by Mumbai Indians for his base price of Rs 1 crore.
"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," he said.
Yuvraj was once one of the most sought-after players in IPL. In 2015, he fetched a record Rs 16 crore deal from the Delhi franchise. However, his IPL fortunes are on a rapid decline ever since. He was picked up by KXIP at his base price of Rs 2 crore last season.
Yuvraj could not set the house on fire, managing just 65 runs in eight games in IPL 2018 and was released by the team before this auction.
"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 come my way," Yuvraj told Mumbai Mirror.
Yuvraj, who last played for India in June 2017, is now looking forward to playing for MI in a 'familiar environment'.
"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," he said.
