ICC Champions Trophy 2017: I would like to play for a few more years, says Yuvraj Singh

What’s the story?

Indian batting stalwart Yuvraj Singh has expressed his desire to keep playing limited-overs cricket for a few more years. Ahead of his landmark 300^th ODI, the 35-year-old looked back on his stellar career and singled out his most memorable knocks in the 50-over format.

Yuvraj said, “It's a big achievement for me to finish 300 games in my career. It is a huge honour. When I started playing for India I was happy just playing one game. That would have been a big achievement for me, but it's come a long way. There have been ups and downs, and I am proud of myself. I have come through and still managed to get to 300. At one stage I was thinking if I was going to play another game.”

On his future plans, he enthused, “I have been very blessed to come and play for India again. Let's see how long I can (continue to play). As long as I'm performing and doing well, I'd like to play. Hopefully, (for) a few more years.”

The Background

Yuvraj is set to become only the 5^th Indian cricketer to feature in 300 ODIs. Since his debut against Kenya at Nairobi in the 2000 ICC Knockout, the left-hander has played 296 ODIs for India and three games for Asia XI. He has amassed 8622 runs at an average of 36.84 and strike-rate of 87.81 with 14 centuries and 52 half-centuries.

The heart of the matter

When asked to pick his most memorable knocks in ODIs, Yuvraj opted for the unbeaten 57 in the 2011 World Cup quarter-final against Australia at Ahmedabad, 84 against the same country in the 2000 ICC Knockout at Nairobi and the 69 against England in the 2002 Natwest tri-series final at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground.

Extra Cover: ICC Champions Trophy 2017 – Yuvraj Singh finds the strength to do it, again

Revealing that he liked to be portrayed as a ‘fighter’, the southpaw asserted that his battle with cancer could serve as a motivation for people to emerge from the confines of the illness. He pointed to self-belief as the key reason for his ability to stage quite a few comebacks into the Indian team.

What’s next?

Yuvraj will reach the milestone when he takes the field during India’s semi-final clash against Bangladesh in the 2017 Champions Trophy. With skipper Virat Kohli hoping for a special knock from him to mark the occasion, the onus is on him to make a statement at Edgbaston Stadium in Birmingham.

Author’s take

Considering the fact that only 18 cricketers have played 300 or more ODIs, Yuvraj’s accomplishment needs to be cherished to a significant extent. Factoring in his recent resurgence in the 50-over format, the veteran has it in him to keep playing for a few more years as long as he is consistently contributing to the team’s cause.