Are we seeing the end of Yuvraj Singh?

Yuvraj Singh failed to impress with the bat during the 2016-17 Duleep Trophy

Back to the grind of domestic cricket

Yuvraj, though is in no mood to give up just yet and if there is one thing that we have seen throughout his career, it is that he is a true fighter who never gives up. So much so that he still sees a future for himself even in Test cricket – a format that he has never really excelled in despite playing in 40 matches.

With a busy 2016-17 home season featuring as many as 14 Tests scheduled, Yuvraj is hopeful of getting a shot at the Test side once again.

“Definitely, I am a big underachiever in test cricket," Yuvraj said recently. “But I can’t really take out anything because I didn’t have many opportunities. We had lot of greats playing in the team. For seven years of my career I was mostly the 12th man for Test matches.

“When I actually had a spot, I got diagnosed with cancer. So it’s been unfortunate but I’ve been lucky that I’ve been able to play again."

Realistically, though, the T20 format alone represents Yuvraj’s only chance to don the Indian colours again but he will have to prove his credentials in other formats in the Indian domestic circuit. It has been a bad start in his latest comeback trail though as he has failed to notch up any notable performances in the ongoing Duleep Trophy and the way the selectors shot down Gautam Gambhir’s prospects despite playing brilliantly should give Yuvraj an indication as to how tough his prospects are.

The new Ranji Trophy season should be commencing soon enough with less than a month to go before the first match begins and Yuvraj will have his work cut out against the young lot. His fitness is not at the level where it used to be and surely age has started catching up with the left-handed batsman

A lot will depend on his performances in what is India's premier domestic competition before the attention turns to the big entertainer - the 2017 IPL.

Yuvraj got himself a winner's medal during the 2016 edition being part of the Sunrisers Hyderabad franchise but to be fair we rarely got to see the fireworks which we are so accustomed to seeing from Yuvraj's bat. It still remains to be seen whether he remains with the franchise for the next edition, but he will have to justify his crowd-pulling power with some heroics with the bat no matter where he ends up if he wants to be back in the plans of the Indian selectors.

India's rising young talent

India has never been short of batting talent and the modern day is no different with many talented youngsters waiting in the wings. The mushrooming of T20 leagues like the Karnataka Premier League and the recently inaugurated Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) has helped the selectors cast their eyes on new talents who have shown that they can mix right in if given the chance.

The rise of KL Rahul is one big example. The talented Karnataka batsman is one of the biggest success stories of the KPL and he has made a truly outstanding start to his international career with centuries in all three formats of the game in just 20 innings. His impressive century in the first T20 against the West Indies was a gentle reminder about the T20 format being the ideal setting ground for youngsters.

Fighting against the likes of such cricketers, Yuvraj will find it really hard to make a mark. He is not getting any younger and he has certainly struggled against genuine pace off late. With the next edition of the T20 World Cup only scheduled for 2019, Yuvraj, who will be 37 by that time, is surely fighting a losing battle and it would also be a tad unfair on someone like Manish Pandey who has been waiting for a consistent run in the side like forever.

Still, a superb domestic season could still bring Yuvraj back in contention and as England’s Stuart Broad found out during the 2007 World T20, you simply don't mess with him. As of now tough, things doesn’t look too well for the 34-year-old who is well and truly in the twilight of his career.