India great Yuvraj Singh retires from international cricket

The powerful left-hander played 304 one-day internationals, as well as featuring in 40 Tests and 58 T20 internationals

Former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh has retired from international cricket after a career that saw him represent his country more than 400 times across the game's three formats.

The powerful left-hander played 304 one-day internationals, as well as featuring in 40 Tests and 58 T20 internationals – some feat in an era that saw him compete for a place against an array of fine Indian middle-order players.

A high score in ODI cricket of 150 came against England in 2017, at a time when many felt his time at the top of the game might be coming to an end.

It was against the same opposition where Yuvraj's name was first truly etched into international cricketing folklore as he hit Stuart Broad for six consecutive sixes at Kingsmead in the inaugural World T20 in 2007.

It was a brutal exhibition of hitting from one of the game's cleanest ball-strikers. Four years later, he was named the player of the tournament as India won the 2011 World Cup on home soil; he scored 362 runs at an average of 90.5, with five scores above fifty.

^{Yuvraj was the player of the tournament in 2011.}

"After 25 years, I have decided to move on," Yuvraj said as he announced the news. "Cricket has given me everything and is the reason why I stand here today.

"I was extremely lucky to play 400 games for India. I could have never imagined it when I first started playing cricket.

“It was a love-hate relationship with this game. I can’t explain what it really means to me. This game taught me to fight. I have failed more times than I succeeded and I will never give up."

In 2012, Yuvraj confirmed he was undergoing treatment for cancer, but overcame the disease to make a return to the international arena.

He ends it, having scored 8,701 runs in ODI cricket and a further 1,900 in Tests. He last represented India in 2017 in an ODI against West Indies, while his form has found itself on the wane since.

He was picked up by Mumbai Indians for this year’s Indian Premier League, but failed to make a major impression. He will, however, continue to play in domestic T20 leagues.