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Former India batter 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.
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.
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.
"He scored a triple century in the Cooch Behar final against Bihar and after that I had no 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 thing that was surprising 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," Gambhir said in an exclusive interaction with Sportskeeda.
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
Yuvraj Singh's story of battling cancer and defying odds to help India lift the ODI World Cup after 28 years is well-documented. The all-rounder put in a performance of a lifetime to be adjudged as Player of the Tournament, at great personal cost.
He chose to play even with his health on the line and eventually had to spend some time away from the game for his treatment, before making a comeback.
"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," Gambhir said.
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.
