“Jab tak balla chalta hai, thath hai beta…”
If one is to describe Yuvraj Singh in one sentence, he could easily borrow these lines from one of Yuvraj’s old advertisements. Those who know the batsman inside out, agree that there is more to him than meets the eye. If he possesses the killer instinct on the field, he is a super cool gentleman off it.
And, his old friend Gaurav Kapur has brought out the other side of Yuvraj in the latest episode of his chat series, Breakfast with Champions . While it portrays the cooler side of Yuvraj, the series also sees Yuvraj making some honest confessions about his life and game. The show starts with Kapur quoting Zaheer Khan as saying that Yuvraj cannot cook. To which, the India batsman broadly smiles and says that Zaheer makes poor omelettes and should stay away from making any comments about Yuvraj’s cooking skills.
The cricketer also admits that his wife Hazel Keech is the only English bowler he is afraid of bowling to.
After some lighter conversation, Yuvraj admits that cancer has changed his life. “I can’t really explain it because it is something which is unheard of. It was very hard to digest. To win the World Cup and be the Man of the Series, that’s like peaking in your career. And then you realise that you have been diagnosed with cancer,” Yuvraj says, adding that close friends, relatives and parents actually know what he went through.
But that has taught him a lot.
“It actually humbles you. It makes you realise that anything can happen in life. You got to hope for the best and prepare for the worst. I think I just appreciate life a little more after that. Everything was cricket, cricket, and cricket. Now life, friends, family, I look forward to these things in life,” he says.
Yuvraj, who married Hazel in December last year, also admits that now he is looking forward to having a future with his wife. “It was a nightmare, a blessing, a huge change, I don’t know what it was but it was something that was pretty devastating and I’m proud of how I came out of it,” he goes on.
- Laziest cricketer: Zaheer Khan
- Misers: Ashish Nehra and Virat Kohli
- Generous cricketer: Yuvraj Singh himself
Did you just say party?
Those knowing Yuvraj also admit that there was a time when he would party till late. But both Kapoor and Yuvraj confirm that these days, they wind up by 1am. While Kapur asks Yuvi for an explanation, Yuvraj justifies the decision. “Age, time, marriage has got something to do with it. Basically, marriage. I think with time, we have evolved,” Yuvraj says.
“First a sister got married, then another one followed her. I just feel that there is a time for everything. We had a lot of fun for 10-15 years with our friends. Now we are settled and we have fun now anyway. But we feel like sleeping a lot more now. You feel sleepier after crossing the age of 35,” he admits.
Age-less cricket
Yuvraj doesn’t like mincing his words. Be it his relationship with Hazel or age fraud scandals in domestic cricket—Yuvraj is ready to speak about it all. “If you are 15 years old on paper, then behave like it on the field too,” is how he reacts to the allegations.
Then, he takes a pause and jokes about how in north India, over-age players have always had their share. In a witty tone, he admits that anyone falling in the age group of 15 and 19 were allowed to play in U-15 tournaments in the past.
There’s absolutely nothing that the southpaw can’t do. Just like whacking Stuart Broad for six sixes, Yuvraj can make one laugh out loud. At same pace, in a same way!
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