Flamboyance? “It was natural,” he would quip. Swagger? “Not put on.”
His cricket, as Yuvraj Singh wanted the world to know, was his “life”. His cricket a magical combination of flamboyance and life lessons, adding to the lustre that he brought to his batting.
Fighter
“Take things as they come,” he often told himself whenever cricket seemed to be ebbing away from his life. He fought those demons, waged a furious duel to arrest the threat of cancer, and lived to “live” his father's dream of winning the World Cup.
Yuvraj, 37, has been an enigma.
You tell him ‘Yuvraj you have been a spectacular under-achiever’. “How?” he counters.
Three hundred and four ODIs and not even 50 Tests. It still pains him. Perhaps the only “regret” of his life. He watched 40 Tests from the dressing room. It was frustrating, but also pressed him to push himself.
He did not mind carrying drinks because it meant he could step on to the field. Nothing could keep him away from cricket once he decided, on father Yograj Singh's diktat, to give up his first love in sports — roller skating.
A ‘complete’ cricketer, Yuvraj left his mark on the game.
He was a batsman who could make a mockery of the field set for him. If the gaps were tough to pierce he would go over the top. He had the ability to do that and he did so frequently, daring the fielders and the bowlers.
For Yuvraj, batting was romancing with the game, giving vent to his expressions, each innings his quest for “nirvana”.
He played cricket differently, never shy of playing his natural game, which was entertainment at its best.
The game has seen few fearless strikers of the ball like Yuvraj. He was good at picking the length early and learnt from Virender Sehwag not to curtail what came to him naturally. Hit the ball and hit it hard.
There was, however, a silken touch to his cover-drive, expansive at times, but executed with the mastery of a seasoned batsman. He was also guilty of throwing his wicket away to some innocuous balls.
“My fault,” he would admit. And pledge not to repeat the mistake.
No regrets
As he moves away from cricket, Yuvraj has no regrets. May be just one — not being able to play more than 40 Tests. Ever since making Mumbai his permanent residence, proximity to the Arabian Sea has made him a serene individual.
“I love the calmness of the sea.” He has made peace with himself, thanks to mother Shabnam Singh and wife Hazel. A new life beckons Yuvraj Singh. A life outside cricket.