Before Going Out, He Told Me 'Tu Ghabra Mat, Main Khelke Aaunga': Reetinder Singh Sodhi Recalls His Memory Of Yuvraj Singh

Former Team India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh is widely regarded as one of the biggest match-winners. The southpaw represented India in 402 international matches, scoring 11,778 runs and taking 148 wickets.

Yuvraj Singh smashed Stuart Broad for six sixes in an over during the 2007 T20 World Cup. Yuvraj was a player of the tournament in India’s World Cup-winning campaign in 2011. He was a member of Mohammad Kaif’s U19 World Cup-winning team in 2000 and was named Player of the Tournament.

Yuvraj Singh Has Been A Champion – Reetinder Singh Sodhi

“Yuvraj Singh has been a champion. He has won matches on his own. When the going got tough, Yuvraj used to come and win us games.

“I remember this one game in the U19 World Cup in 2000 against Australia in the semi-final. We didn’t score many runs and Australia had the likes of Shane Watson, Mitchell Johnson and others in their team back then,” Reetinder Singh Sodhi said.

In the semi-finals of the tournament, India faced a tough Australian side with Shaun Marsh, Shane Watson and Mitchell Johnson in their playing XI. The openers, Ravneet Ricky (108) and Manish Sharma (65), scored at a strike rate of around 70 and put pressure on the middle-order batsmen.

With India at 202/2 in 42.5 overs, Yuvraj Singh came in and wreaked havoc on the Australian bowlers. Former Indian batting all-rounder Reetinder Sodhi recalls the southpaw’s explosive innings.

“Yuvraj had to go next. And then, it was my turn. I told him, ‘Yuvi, run kam bane hain yaar. Thoda tez khelna padega. (Yuvi, there aren’t many runs on the board. We have to accelerate).’ And then, he goes out there in the 43rd over, and scores some 60 off 25 balls (58 off 25 deliveries),” Reetinder recalled.

“Yuvraj had actually told me before going to the field, “Tu ghabra mat. Main andar jaa raha hu na, main khelke aaunga (you don’t worry. I’m going inside, I’ll play my way).” He is a man of self-belief, and we saw that self-belief for many years when he played for Team India,” Reetinder added.

Yuvraj Singh made his debut for India at the age of 19, and went on to play 304 ODIs, 58 T20Is, and 40 Tests before retiring from international cricket in 2019.

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