‘Don’t retire too early’ - Manchester United icon Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s humble advice to Suryakumar Yadav

Former Manchester United player and head coach, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer came to India to attend multiple events that have been organized for him. On February 9, in an event in Bengaluru, the former footballer met India cricketer Suryakumar Yadav in one such event as the two had a small chat and also posed with each other’s jerseys.

Notably, Yadav is currently out of action, having undergone two surgeries in December and January. The number-one-ranked T20I batter in the world had surgery for his ankle injury in late 2023, which was followed by groin surgery in 2024, He is expected to make his return in the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League but there are also chances of him missing the initial few matches.

Suryakumar was spotted talking about his injuries and the road to recovery with Ole. The Norwegian in return explained the need to take a break in professional sports as it helps the players to refresh and go again. He also asked Yadav not to retire early from the sport.

“Sometimes you need that time off just to refresh your head and go again. Enjoy it as long as you can. It is always best when you are active. Don't retire too early,” Ole was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.

Meanwhile, Rinku Singh replaced Suryakumar in the playing XI of India’s T20I side. The southpaw has done remarkably well, which will put pressure on the Mumbai-born batter. The 33-year-old needs to have an excellent season of IPL to get back his spot in the playing XI as there’s a huge competition in India’s middle-order spot at the moment. 

On the other hand, Suryakumar’s IPL franchise Mumbai Indians is currently going through turmoil. Fans expressed their disappointment after Rohit Sharma was replaced by Hardik Pandya as the captain of the team. Ritika Sajdeh, Rohit’s wife recently took a dig at head coach Mark Boucher as the situation is intense for the five-time champions.