Former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh believes Indian cricket’s fearless batting approach has continued to evolve with every generation, and he used a popular Hollywood franchise to explain the transformation.
While speaking to JioHotstar during the Wimbledon men’s singles final, Yuvraj compared himself, Abhishek Sharma and 15-year-old batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to different versions of the iconic Terminator series starring Arnold Schwarzenegger.
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Yuvraj Singh on evolution of aggressive batting
Yuvraj, who has closely mentored Abhishek Sharma over the years, said Sooryavanshi is the next step in the evolution of aggressive batting. The 2011 World Cup winner also expressed his desire to work with the young batter in the future.
“I always call myself a Terminator. Now there is Terminator 4, Abhishek Sharma, who is four times better than me. And after him comes Terminator 6, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who has evolved even more.
“I did my part in my time, Abhishek elevated it, and now Vaibhav is setting new standards. This is the third phase of the same journey. It is great to see the sport evolving,” Yuvraj said.
The former India star also drew a comparison with modern-day tennis, saying the game has changed rapidly just like cricket.
“When I watch (Jannik) Sinner and (Carlos) Alcaraz, I see how tennis is changing. I see the same evolution in Abhishek and Vaibhav. I have spent a lot of time training Abhishek, and I would love to spend time with Vaibhav as well. He has a great career ahead of him. He is a serious player in the making, and I believe he will get there.”
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Calls Yuvraj Singh His Idol
Sooryavanshi, who recently made his India debut during the five-match T20I series against England, described meeting Yuvraj as a memorable experience. The teenage batter said the former all-rounder shared valuable advice, especially on the mental side of the game.
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“Yuvi Paaji is my idol too. Meeting him for the first time was a special moment. I got to spend time with him and he shared a lot of insights about the game.“He spoke about the mental side of the game, how to handle pressure, and the importance of believing in yourself. It feels great to have so much to learn from someone like him. I am sure it will help me a lot in my career going forward,” Sooryavanshi said.
Sooryavanshi had a forgetful outing in the recently concluded England series, where the hosts defeated India 4-0 to whitewash the series. The duo will now be seen featuring in the upcoming three-match T20I series against Zimbabwe which is scheduled to start from July 23.