'Me and Mahi are not...': Yuvraj Singh reveals his 'surprising' equation with MS Dhoni

Former Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh has admitted that he and MS Dhoni were 'never close friends' despite sharing the dressing room for several years. According to Yuvraj, the pair never struck a close bond due to their different lifestyles away fromthe ground.

Yuvraj was a key part of the 2007 and 2011 World Cup-winning side with Dhoni captaining him on both occasions. Over the years, much has been said about Yuvraj and Dhoni's friendship but it was the first time that any of the two had spoken about their relationship.

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“Me and Mahi are not close friends. We were friends because of cricket, we played together. Mahi’s lifestyle was very different from me, so we were never close friends, we were only friends because of cricket," Yuvraj said on Ranveer Allahbadia's podcast show.

Yuvraj, who was the player of the tournament when India won the 2011 World Cup, said despite not being close friends, he and Mahi "gave more than 100 per cent" to the country whenever on the ground. However, the stylish all-rounder added that even then, the pair had their share of differences.

"He was captain, I was vice-captain. When I came into the team, I was 4 years junior. When you are captain and vice-captain, there will be decision differences,” Yuvraj said

“Sometimes he made decisions I didn’t like, sometimes I made decisions he didn’t like. That happens in every team,” he added.

Dhoniprovidedclear picture to Yuvraj

Yuvraj played a pivotal part in India winning the 2011 World Cup despite suffering from cancer during the tournament. The allrounder had to take a sabbatical from cricket after the marquee event to undergo cancer treatment, including chemotherapy.

He made his comeback a year later and went on to play for another seven years before retiring in 2019 from all forms of cricket. Yuvraj revealed that it was Dhoni who provided him the truth when he needed it the most.

"When I was at the end of my career, when I wasn't getting the right picture about my career, I asked him for advice. He was the guy who told me that the selection committee is not looking you right now. I was like, at least I got to know the real picture. This is just before 2019 World Cup. That is the reality," said Yuvraj.

Meanwhile, Dhoni retired from Test cricket in 2016 before calling time on his ODI career after the 2019 World Cup semifinal exit.

(With inputs from agencies)