IPL 2019 Auction: Not surprised I Did Not Get Picked in 1st Round of Auction - Yuvraj Singh

Veteran Indian National Cricket team cricketer, Yuvraj Singh, who failed to attract bidder in the first round of the IPL 2019 auction, admitted that he was not surprised by the same. Meanwhile, he was one of the top attraction at the auction house and said he is happy to play the last leg of his career at Mumbai Indians.

The all-rounder had once topped the auctions when Delhi Daredevils bought for Rs 16 Crore in 2015. However, his stocks went down, and in IPL 2018 auction, he got his base price of Rs 2 Crore. Yuvraj Singh went to the IPL 2019 auction with a base price of Rs 1 crore. However, he didn’t get any bidder in the first round. But Mumbai roped him at the eleventh hour of the auction at his base price.

Reflecting on his appointment by the Mumbai franchise, the southpaw revealed that he hadn’t expected him to be sold in the very first round but was hopeful of a buyer showing up in the final one.

“There was no disappointment as such because I had an idea that I would not be picked in the first round,” Yuvraj told to Mumbai Mirror. “The reason is obvious, when you are putting together an IPL team, you will be looking at the youngsters. I am at that stage of my career where it could be presumed that I may be in the last stages of my career. I had hoped that there would be a buyer for me in the last round,” he added.

Talking about his poor show with the Kings XI Punjab in the last season, Yuvraj Singh stated batting position change as a significant factor for it.

“Agreed, that the last season was not great. But the point was I played at different positions in four-five games. I was not given one position to bat. This year I am very keen to make the best of the opportunity that will comes my way,” he opined.

Furthermore, Yuvraj Singh isn’t ruling out his chances of a return to the national team. He also claimed that there’s still fire in his belly and is also eager to put in a good show for Punjab state team this time around.

“Hopefully in this season, I will be able to deliver. There is fire in the belly; I am keen to be competitive. The hunger is there; I am not playing for the sake of playing. I am playing because I want to play and I am passionate about playing. On retirement, I will take a call after the 2019 World Cup. At the moment the next three-four months are crucial for me in cricket. I want to just focus on that,” he concluded.