Yuvraj Singh signs for Maratha Arabians: The legendary all-rounder will take part in his second overseas league post retirement.
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It was reported in August that Indian cricketers in Yuvraj Singh, Irfan Pathan and Ambati Rayudu are expected to play in the imminent season of the Abu Dhabi T10 League. With Rayudu coming out of retirement to lead Hyderabad in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, his prospects of playing in an overseas league seem minimal.
Yuvraj, who retired from international cricket in June, has confirmed his participation in the T10 league. The southpaw has been signed as an icon player by Maratha Arabians which is co-owned by Parvez Khan (Pacific Ventures), Bollywood actor Sohail Khan and Ali Tumbi (Aqua Properties).
After 25yrs in cricket Ive decided to move on. Cricket has given me everythin I have.ThankU 4being a part of this journey.This game taught me how to fight,how to fall,to dust off,to get up again n move forward. It has been a lovely journey. See you on the other side #SteppingOut pic.twitter.com/x3wOhoXcLv
— yuvraj singh (@YUVSTRONG12) June 10, 2019
In what will be the third season of the tournament, Yuvraj will play under the captaincy of former West Indies captain Dwayne Bravo. Apart from Bravo, Yuvraj will play alongside Australia’s Chris Lynn and Afghanistan’s Hazratullah Zazai and Najeebullah Zadran.
Yuvraj Singh signs for Maratha Arabians
Speaking after joining the franchise, Yuvraj expressed excitement at playing a new tournament. “It is an exciting new format to be part of. I am looking forward to joining forces with some of the world’s biggest names in this league and representing team Maratha Arabians.
“It is going to be a thrilling time for the game of cricket. It’s heartwarming to see leagues like T10 putting in so much hard work and offering such exciting format for sports enthusiasts,” Yuvraj was quoted as saying.
Expressing honour at signing Yuvraj for this season, co-owner Sohail Khan welcomed Yuvraj into the Arabians’ squad.
“It is terrific to have a world-class player like Yuvi [Yuvraj Singh] in our squad. We have all seen his exploits for India in various formats. He is a champion cricketer and has been one of the greats in the white ball formats. It is a huge honour to have him in our squad,” Khan said.
In six matches that Yuvraj played for Toronto Nationals in the Global T20 League 2019 post retirement, he scored 148 runs at an average of 29.60 and a strike rate of 194.73 including a couple of half-centuries.