The story of a young Yuvraj Singh giving up his roller skates to pursue a career in cricket is well-known, but not many might be aware of the fact that he was a left-arm fast bowler stating off. Yuvraj revealed how until the age of 11, he was a fast bowler, wanting to continue in that role, but a certain incident changed his mind and he started concentrating more towards batting.
“I was in Bishan Singh Bedi’s camp in Palam,” Yuvraj told SportsKeeda. “I was about 11-12 years old. I was a seamer; a fast bowler. I wasn’t a batsman at the time. I remember going and batting at six, and I scored a hundred in that match. I was batting on 90 with not a single six. One left-arm spinner came; I think it was Angad [Bedi]. I hit him for two sixes and the ball landed outside the ropes. At 11-12, you don’t have that kind of power.”
Yuvraj, who went on to become one of India’s biggest matchwinners in ODIs, narrated why he gave up fast bowling. The two sixes convinced Yuvraj of his ability to bat, but with promising pace, the thought of becoming a fast-bowling all-rounder crossed his mind. However, a back injury put paid to Yuvraj’s plans and he went on the road that made him a two-time World Cup winner for India.
“That was the day I realised I could bat too. I thought I could be a seaming all-rounder, but due to my back, I switched to spin. I broke my bat, but I’m glad it happened because without it I wouldn’t have talent of batting,” Yuvraj said.
{{/usCountry}}“That was the day I realised I could bat too. I thought I could be a seaming all-rounder, but due to my back, I switched to spin. I broke my bat, but I’m glad it happened because without it I wouldn’t have talent of batting,” Yuvraj said.
{{/usCountry}}