Skating’s loss turned into cricket’s gain

CHANDIGARH, Jan 27: "To play, or not to play" That was the question facing Yuvraj Singh Bundel, three years back. Playing (cricket...

CHANDIGARH, Jan 27: "To play, or not to play" That was the question facing Yuvraj Singh Bundel, three years back. Playing (cricket) would have meant disassociation from his favourite game then, skating. 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. It might have been a bit premature for him to have played Ranji Trophy then, as, despite of his big scores he still was raw. The bitter experience has, however, 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 the importance of temperament, patience and above all the value of one’s wicket,” he feels. He indeed talks sense as he has just led the Punjab team to a memorable victory in the All India Vijay Merchant Trophy (u-16) at Nagpur. “He led the team — twice — from imminent defeats to victories, only on the basis of his cricketing sense,” emphasised Sunil Saggi, the manager of the victorious team.

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For Yuvraj the Punjab State senior championship in October ’95 was the turning point as he, as a thirteen year old, smacked a century which prompted the state selectors to take notice.

Keeping alive Punjab’s tradition of grooming youngsters, he found a place in Punjab’s Ranji Trophy camp as well as the Punjab U-16 side the same year. He massacred the bowlers in U-16, making 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 Mumbai by storm. The lad has tremendous potential and must be groomed properly.”

Though he had half a dozen centuries in the U-16 and U-19 competitions this season, yet could not find a place for himself among the probables for the junior World Cup. Considering that Yuvraj compliments his batting with left arm spin bowling as well (and he is no mean a bowler), Yuvraj could have been a valuable asset to the side.

“This has made me more keen on proving myself,” said Yuvraj, adding,“ I want to score more and more runs now.”

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“It is my dream to see him play, score thousands of runs and finally lead India, ” says father Yograj Singh. The dream might be unrealistic at this stage but as Yograj feels, “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.