'Cricket wasn't helping me mentally:' Yuvraj Singh opens up on retirement and life after

India's World Cup-winning cricketer Yuvraj Singh recently opened up on his post-retirement life and stated that he had 'finally slept peacefully' after he hung his boots in 2019. The Punjab player said that it was an 'emotional moment' for him but he felt 'really free' after he called it a day.  Singh also added that he does miss the game sometimes and he is proud of the respect cricket has given him. 

'Hadn't slept properly'

Reflecting upon his post-retirement life in a chat with Gaurav Kapoor, Yuvraj Singh said, "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."

He also added that he reached a stage where cricket was not helping him mentally. He said he was just dragging himself, and thinking when he should retire.

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“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,” the 2011 World Cup Man of the Tournament said. 

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The southpaw had called it a day from international cricket on June 10, 2019. Yuvraj, who was adjudged Player of the Tournament in the 2011 World Cup for having scored 362 runs and scalping 15 wickets was sidelined from the national team after the away bilateral series against West Indies in 2017 after which he never donned the Indian jersey again.

The ex-middle-order batsman was last seen in action during the Road Safety World Series earlier this year where he was playing for the India Legends led by the Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar. The event was called off due to the global pandemic. 

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The star all-rounder was released by the four-time winners and defending champions Mumbai Indians during the IPL 2020 Auctions and went unsold as no team had shown any interesting in buying him for IPL 2020 that was originally scheduled to get underway on March 29 but has been suspended indefinitely as of now due to Coronavirus fear.

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