India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh, who was voted player of the tournament at the 2011 World Cup, announced his retirement from international and first-class cricket on Monday.
"A very difficult and at the same time a very beautiful moment for me," Yuvraj told a news conference in Mumbai on Monday.
Yuvraj played 40 test matches, 304 one-day internationals and 58 Twenty20 internationals for India in a career that was interrupted by illness.
His highlight was the 2011 World Cup on home soil, where he scored 362 runs including a century and four half centuries and took 15 wickets with his left-arm spin, to help India win the title. He was the first player to score more than 300 runs and take 15 wickets in one edition of the quadrennial tournament.
"After 25 years, in and around 22 yards, and after almost 17 years of international cricket on and off, I have decided to move on," Yuvraj said. "I am extremely lucky to play 400-plus games for India."
"It was a love-hate relationship with the sport, in retrospect," he said. "I don't think I hated the game, because the love I have for it today, which will remain a constant till the end of (my) life. I can't really express in words what is that feeling."
Yuvraj underwent treatment for cancer in 2012 and was out of the game for a prolonged period. He returned to play 30 more ODIs mostly in 2013 and 2017. His last game for India was a one-dayer against West Indies in 2017.
After making the announcement in Mumbai on Monday, Yuvraj spent time interacting with the media and revealed who his favourite captains were and which international players he looked upto. Watch the video for more.
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