'Why do we play cricket?' - How Sachin inspired Yuvraj Singh's post-cancer comeback

Former Indian all-rounder Yuvraj Singh has revealed that his conversations with the legendary Sachin Tendulkar helped him make a comeback to the Indian side after undergoing treatment for cancer.

In an exclusive interview with Indranil Basu and Shanivi Sadana on Sportskeeda's new 'Free Hit' show, the 38-year-old stated that the Master Blaster's inspiring words kept him going during the tough phase.

When asked if he struggled with the step down from international cricket to the Indian domestic setup, Yuvraj Singh stated that there were days when he considered retiring from the sport -

"There were a few ups and downs. I kept on speaking to Sachin, and he said, 'Why do we play cricket? Yes, we want to play international but we play for the love of the sport. If you love the game, you want to play.'"

"Sachin said, 'If I was in the situation, I wouldn't know what to do but if you love the game, you still play the game and decide when you want to retire. People should not decide that for you.'," added Yuvraj Singh.

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'I just wanted to be happy and peaceful' - Yuvraj Singh

Yuvraj Singh made a comeback to the Indian side to register his highest-ever ODI score

Yuvraj Singh said that he was in and out of the Indian side, and spoke about the grand comeback he made by registering his highest-ever ODI score against England in 2017.

"So I had some good chats with him and played 3-4 years of domestic cricket. I was in and out of the Indian team, played the T20 World Cup. I made a few comebacks but it was time to move on because my body was not the same after cancer," Yuvraj Singh stated.

"But I still managed to come back and score my highest ODI score. I just wanted to be happy in my life. I wanted to be at peace and have no regrets, so I moved on," he added.

After making frequent comebacks to the Indian side but never quite re-establishing his place in it, Yuvraj Singh scored a scintillating 127-ball 150 against England at Cuttack in 2017. The knock, studded with 21 fours and 3 sixes, won him a place in India's 2017 Champions Trophy squad.

However, the destructive batsman was soon dropped from the team and played his last international game in June 2017. Yuvraj Singh recently also spoke about his retirement, and lamented the fact that the BCCI mismanages its senior players.