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'I am definitely nothing like Yograj Singh': Yuvraj Singh opens up, says 'When I was 19, nobody understood…'
Yuvraj Singh insists that his approach to coaching is strikingly different from that of his father, Yograj Singh.
Yuvraj Singh may not be a certified coach, but what he's done for Indian cricket may already make him one of India's coaching greats. Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill are two names that have emerged from the Yuvraj school of coaching. Although Yuvraj never formally coached them, the two-time World Cup winner and one of India’s greatest match-winners has worked with them since their early days. And look where it's got them. One of them is India's ODI and Test captain, while the other, in just a short span of time, has become the world's No. 1 T20I batter.
Yuvraj’s coaching instincts differ greatly from those of his father, Yograj. While Yograj believes in strict discipline and tough-love methods, Yuvraj’s approach couldn’t be more different. Opening up about it, Yuvraj explained in detail how he goes about his coaching. Even today, Yograj’s remarks about the players he trains stand in stark contrast to his son’s approach.
"I am definitely nothing like Yograj Singh. I am a very different person, and a very different personality. My style of coaching is very different. I believe when you are coaching someone or mentoring someone, you need to be in their shoes and you need to understand their mindset, what they are going through, rather than telling them what to do. It has to be like a push and pull. You take some and you give some. So it is important to understand how to be in the head of a 19-year-old," Yuvraj told PTI.
Yuvraj understands what a youngster needs
Tales of Yuvraj being subjected Yograj's strictness aren't new. He once infamously threw away Yuvraj's skating shoes, leaving him no option but to take up cricket and pursue a career. In 2000, Yuvraj, under Mohammad Kaif won the Under-19 World Cup before going on to make his India debut a few months later. From his striking 84 against Australia in the ICC Knockout Champions Trophy to playing a vital role in World Cup 2007 and 2011, Yuvraj became a legend. Still, Yuvraj stays true to his own methods, recalling that when he was younger, few people truly understood a teenager’s mindset.
"When I was 19 years old, nobody understood the challenges that I was facing, so when I see a 19 or a 20-year-old, I know what challenges they are facing mentally, and it is about listening to them, understanding their mindset and working accordingly rather than telling them what to do," pointed out Yuvraj.
