India, Jan. 29 -- Yuvraj Singh has never been the type to dress up discomfort in soft language. And in a recent podcast chat with former Indian tennis star Sania Mirza, the 2011 World Cup hero laid out - plainly - what it felt like to keep playing when the joy had drained out of the game.

For Yuvraj, it wasn't one bad series or one rough phase. It was a deeper exhaustion - mental, physical, and emotional - where the sport began to feel like an obligation that was taking more than it was giving.

"I was not enjoying my game. I had a feeling that why am I playing cricket when I'm not enjoying it? I was not feeling supported. I was not feeling respected. And I felt, why do I need to do this when I don't have this? To prove what? I can't do ...