`After Sachin, this boy is appealing’

CHANDIGARH, January 28: Three years ago, Yuvraj Singh Bundel had to make a decision. Playing (cricket) would have meant leaving skating -- h...

CHANDIGARH, January 28: Three years ago, Yuvraj Singh Bundel had to make a decision. Playing (cricket) would have meant leaving skating — his favourite game then. Fortunately, with cricket in his family blood — father Yograj Singh is a former Indian Test cricketer — he chose to pursue cricket seriously.

It may have been skating’s loss, but has turned out to be cricket’s gain in a big way, as Yuvraj is already knocking the big league cricket’s doors.For Yuvraj, the rise was meteoric. He started practising in April ’95, hammered tons of runs for Punjab in various age group tournaments in October, and went on to make his Ranji Trophy debut in February ’96. In hindsight, it might have been a bit premature for him to have played Ranji Trophy then, as he was still raw. However, the bitter experience has only hardened him.

Two years on, Yuvraj, sixteen and standing 6 ft 3 in, is a wise young `man’ now. “I was scoring runs even then, but now my attitude towards cricket has changed. I have realised theimportance of temperament, patience and the value of my wicket,” he says, fresh after leading the Punjab team to a memorable victory in the All India Vijay Merchant Trophy (u-16) at Nagpur. For Yuvraj the Punjab State senior championship in October ’95 was the turning point as he, just thirteen then, smacked a century which shook up the state selectors.

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He found a place in Punjab’s Ranji Trophy camp as well as the Punjab U-16 side the same year, made it to the North Zone side and was finally rewarded with a Ranji cap. So awed was former India captain Dilip Vengsarkar, that he could not help saying,“After Sachin Tendulkar, this boy is certainly appealing. The way he goes after spinners and murders them is fantastic. He was with my academy in Mumbai and he took the city by storm. The lad has tremendous potential.” Though he had half a dozen centuries in the U-16 and U-19 competition this season, Yuvraj could not find a place for himself among the probables for the junior World Cup. Considering thatYuvraj compliments his batting with left arm spin bowling, he could have been a valuable asset to the side.

“It is my dream to see him play, score thousands of runs and finally lead India, ” says father Yograj Singh. “Life without impossible dreams is devoid of challenges. I want Yuvi to take up the challenge and do it.”Mumbai is Yuvraj’s next destination as he is also the skipper of the North Zone side for the Inter-Zonals.