Yuvraj Singh vows to keep playing till he enjoys the game

• I enjoy playing cricket and it was always my passion as a young kid. So as long as I am enjoying it, I want to play: Yuvraj Singh.
• If I get an opportunity to come back and play for India, I would look forward to that: Yuvraj Singh.
• A World Cup is a World Cup, whether it is T20 or 50 overs. It's always an honour to play another World Cup: Yuvraj Singh.  

 

He may be out of

reckoning for the national side, but the fighter's spirit continues to burn within one of India's most elegant batsman, Yuvraj Singh. The flamboyant southpaw, who is turning up for Punjab in the Ranji trophy, spoke of his passion for the sport and vowed to keep going as long as he enjoyed the game.

"I enjoy playing cricket and it was always my passion as a young kid. So as long as I am enjoying it, I want to play," Yuvraj told the media, ahead of Punajb's Ranji Trophy group stage encounter against Mumbai.

For a player of Yuvraj's repute, there are always rumours and anticipations of a possible comeback at the international stage. Yuvraj, however, remains calm and composed and has all his focus on the present - the Ranji trophy - and also revealed that he'd try his best to reclaim his spot in the Indian team.

"I just want to play and enjoy my cricket. If I get an opportunity to come back and play for India, I would look forward to that. These are games which will give me opportunity to come back so I am trying my best," Yuvraj said.

Having been a vital cog in two of India's World Cup triumphs - World T20 in 2007 and the 50-over World Cup in 2011 - Yuvraj has not given up the hope of featuring and playing a big part in another major tournament before hanging up his boots. The next edition of the World T20 will be played in India in five months from now and Yuvraj reckons it will be an 'honour' to be part of another showpiece event. He however, maintains that his current target is only to improve his game.

"A World Cup is a World Cup, whether it is T20 or 50 overs. It's always an honour to play another World Cup. (But) I am not thinking so far ahead, I am just thinking (about it) game by game, how my game is going and how I can improve. So that's what my target is," Yuvraj opined.

Since being India's chief architect in the 2011 World Cup victory, Yuvraj has endured a tough period - dealing with cancer and a fight to reclaim his spot in the Indian side. Yuvraj hasn't featured in Tests since December 2012, in ODIs since December 2013 and his last T20I appearance came way back in April 2014. While going through such a lean patch, Yuvraj recollects a piece of advice that Sachin Tendulkar gave him last year.

"I was speaking to Sachin last year and he said: 'Obviously the most important thing is to play for India but don't forget to enjoy the game. As young kids, we always played the game to enjoy it. We never knew (then) that we were going to play for India."