Former Indian cricketer Gautam Gambhir talked about the career of Yuvraj Singh. Gautam Gambhir stated that his former teammate should’ve played most Tests and had he done that his numbers would have been the same as in the white-ball career. Gautam Gambhir recently opined that Yuvraj Singh should have played more Test matches in his career. The left-handed all-rounder is revered as a bonafide match-winner for India in white-ball cricket, but could not translate his success to the longest format of the game.
Gautam Gambhir who had a stellar test career himself believed that Yuvraj Singh would have been far more better successful if he would have played more red ball cricket.
Yuvraj Singh’s First class and test career.
Yuvraj Singh arguably was one of the best all-rounders that the game of cricket has seen. He was one of the main reasons behind India winning the T20 World Cup 2007 and the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011, where he was Man of the Tournament, for his stupendous effort with the bat and ball.
Yuvraj Singh was rated as a white-ball giant as he was one of the major reasons behind the dominance of the Indian team in the white-ball format. He was touted as one of the biggest match-winners for India in T20Is and ODIs but somehow couldn’t replicate the same in Tests.
This comes as a massive surprise because Yuvraj Singh had incredible FC numbers. He scored 8965 runs at an average of 44.16. However, his numbers on the international stage in red ball weren’t as great as he would’ve wanted, especially with him being successful in white ball.
Yuvraj Singh played just 40 matches and scored 1900 runs at an average of 33.92. But the presence of players like VVS Laxman, and Sachin Tendulkar batting in the middle in Tests, meant he couldn’t get a consistent run in the longest format of the game.
Yuvraj had a credible First Class record after 139 appearances. The southpaw scored 8965 runs at an average of 44.16. However, his numbers took a hit when it came to red-ball cricket at the international level. He only scored 1900 runs at an average of 33.92 after 40 matches and gradually descended in the pecking order.
Gautam Gambhir believes that Yuvraj Singh could’ve proved to be a big player for India in Tests and it was surprising that he couldn’t.
Gautam Gambhir feels that sizzling Indian all rounder Yuvraj Singh should have played more test cricket than T20 and ODIs.
Gautam Gambhir noted that Yuvraj’s Test record could have improved with time, and he could have had a formidable red-ball record as well along with his already impressive white-ball numbers. Speaking to Sportskeeda, he explained:
“He scored a triple century in the Cooch Behar final against Bihar and after that, I did not doubt that Yuvraj Singh will play International cricket. He did not surprise me even a little bit with what he achieved at the international level.
“The only surprising thing is the fact I believe that he should have played more Test cricket. Had he played more Tests, his record would have improved and it would have been similar to his white-ball numbers.”
Yuvraj Singh did not play Test cricket after the home series against England in 2012, but his final first-class appearance came in 2019.
I remember how Yuvraj Singh struggled with his health in the 2011 World Cup – Gautam Gambhir
Gautam Gambhir further highlighted what Yuvraj Singh went through with health issues in the 2011 World Cup. He pointed out that even after health issues, the all-rounder gave his everything for the team. He added:
“I remember how Yuvraj Singh struggled with his health in the 2011 World Cup, and the best part is, he did not let anyone know. This shows when you play for India, how much it matters. I have played against Yuvraj at the U-19 level, even then, his quality and skill levels were unbelievable.”
Yuvraj was suffering from chest cancer during the ICC Cricket World 2011. However, he didn’t give up as he gave his best despite struggling and helped the team win the World Cup after 28 years as India beat Sri Lanka in the final at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Gautam Gambhir is currently involved as a mentor for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL). The franchise are currently awaiting their opponents in Qualifier 1 after having finished the league stage as table toppers.