‘I am definitely not like Yograj Singh’ - Yuvraj Singh on his coaching style; says he understands the mind of 19-year-olds

Legendary India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh has categorically denied that his method of coaching youngsters is similar to that of his stern and strict father, Yograj Singh. Notably, Yograj Singh, who played for India, coached Yuvraj Singh in his youth and was very strict, leading to strained relations between the two.

Yuvraj is not at all like Yograj, who is regarded as a strict taskmaster. When the all-arounder was a teenager, his father tossed away his medals and skating shoes. After that, he did everything in his power to represent India internationally.

He was a member of Mohammed Kaif's Under-19 World Cup-winning squad in 2000.

The two-time World Cup winner believes that understanding a child's perspective is more important than simply forcing one's opinions on them.

"I am definitely nothing like Yograj Singh. I am a very different person and have 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 and 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 Singh was just 18 when he made his India debut in 2000. He went on to win the T20 World Cup in 2007 and the ICC ODI World Cup in 2011. He was the Player of the Tournament in India’s 2011 ICC win.

"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.

Yuvraj’s legendary career also includes his valiant battle against lung cancer in 2011, where he underwent intense chemo and recovered from the illness, making a comeback to cricket and playing till 2017 for India.

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