Yuvraj Singh says big prize tag in IPL can add pressure on a player to perform

Former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh said People only look at the money you’ve fetched, not the level of pressure and scrutiny that prize tag brings on a player.

The hero of 2011 World Cup for India went for a whopping Rs 16 crore to Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) in the 2015 auctions, where he only managed 248 runs at 19.07 in 14 matches.

“The pressure is felt because of the big money. I won’t say it changes a player. Now when you climb the success ladder, people try to drag you down,” said the 38-year-old during an Instagram live chat session with his former teammate Mohammad Kaif.

Yuvraj Singh’s IPL Career :

Yuvraj has always been an icon player for whichever franchise he has played. In the initial season of IPL, Punjab Kings picked him, and he served them for a very long time, both as a captain and player.

Talking about the batting stats, though, Yuvraj started in 2008 and scored just 299 runs. His IPL career has been ups and downs. The batsman has featured in 11 seasons of IPL and played 132 matches.

From 132 matches, he has scored 2750 runs at a worrisome average of 24.77 and a strike rate of a tad over 129. For someone so brutal, this strike is relatively not what we associate with him.

Fascinatingly Yuvi’s highest score is 83 runs. His best season was in the year 2014 where he scored 376 runs at a strike rate of 135. This shows that Yuvraj Singh, the batsman, was not up to the mark than other Indian greats in the league.

The jaws of the readers might be dropping if we say that Yuvraj has taken an IPL hattrick. Yes, he has. Such is the charisma of the individual in any department of cricket.

Featuring in 132 matches, Yuvraj went on to bowl more than 144 overs. Not only that, but he also took 36 wickets at an average of 29.91. The best bowling figure for the bowler from Punjab was four wickets for 29 runs.

Effect of Negative News on Players :

“See the point is…pressure is there because when you get out and don’t perform they say he is getting so much money and not performing,” Yuvraj added. “Negative news sells more and those things affect you. My advice to all youngsters would be to stay away from TV and newspapers.”

The duo was involved in a famous partnership that turned the 2002 Natwest Trophy final on its head and pulled off victory for India from the jaws of defeat.

“My lesson from that game was that you can’t relax at any time. England had thought they had won the game. You can’t give up. You have to keep trying,” said Yuvraj, recollecting thoughts on that incredible 121-run sixth- wicket stand, which helped India recover from 146/5 to chase down the mammoth 326-run target.

Yuvraj about his fielding :

“I was very athletic. I was quick. But fielding I did not have too much idea. In the first Ranji match I was playing, I was 15-16 years. I misfielded and next day article came out Yuvraj Singh ‘gateway of India’.”