Yograj Singh has answered the burning question of many Indian cricket fans – why is Yuvraj Singh not in any coaching role, especially in the Indian Premier League (IPL)? It is a general perception that almost all the Indian players tend to either take up a coaching or mentorship role or become cricket experts after their playing careers. While Yuvraj has done some commentary stints, he’s never been a professional coach in IPL history.
Will Yuvraj Singh follow his peers?
One of the best white-ball players India have ever produced, Yuvraj Singh announced his retirement in 2019, with his last international match being played in 2017. Iconically, Yuvraj was the cornerstone in India’s two huge World Cup-winning campaigns – the ICC T20 World Cup 2007 and the ICC ODI World Cup 2011, where he was the Player of the Tournament as well. In the IPL, he played 132 games, representing six different franchises in total.
The likes of Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Dinesh Karthik, Ajit Agarkar, Munaf Patel, Zaheer Khan and many other former teammates of Yuvraj either are or have been coaches in some capacity. Even Sachin Tendulkar has been associated with the Mumbai Indians (MI) since his retirement in 2013. MS Dhoni was India’s mentor at the 2021 T20 World Cup.
According to Yograj Singh, however, it is Yuvraj’s personal choice not to take up any coaching role. However, he name-dropped Gautam Gambhir and Ajit Agarkar to be successful coaches as well. As we all know, both Gambhir and Agarkar are currently focal parts of Indian cricket, with Gambhir being the head coach and Agarkar being the chief selector.
“That is his personal decision (on why Yuvraj Singh is not coaching in the IPL). He’s big enough. He’s larger than life. I don’t have to ask him every time – Yuvi sir, how are you? That’s not the protocol he deserves. But I think he can be a great coach. Gautam (Gambhir), Yuvi and 4-5 other guys together, including (Ajit) Agarkar, can make a very good team to bring a side to a top level,” said Yograj while speaking exclusively to InsideSport.
It is important to note that there were multiple reports of Yuvraj joining an IPL team as a coach ahead of IPL 2025. While Gujarat Titans (GT) eyed to replace Ashish Nehra with him, Delhi Capitals (DC) were also reportedly interested.
