‘Haan Yuvi, bol, Mai apna bag pack kar riha haan (Yes Yuvi, inform me. I’m packing my baggage). Yuvraj stated ‘Papa, Sachin paaji will name you. He will speak to you about his son. Please assist him, Yuvraj stated.
A couple of moments after Yuvraj’s name, Sachin Tendulkar known as and greeted Yograj. Tendulkar requested if he may prepare his son, Arjun, for just a few days forward of the Ranji Trophy.
Yograj needed to fly to the UK however had 20 days in hand. Yograj, who’s himself a former India cricketer, having performed 1 Test and 6 ODIs for India between 1980 and 1981, agreed and requested Sachin to ship Arjun to the DAV College floor in Chandigarh to fulfill him.
Arjun, who’s taking part in for Goa within the Ranji Trophy this season, met Yograj.
Yograj had an extended chat with Arjun after which the previous India cricketer stated one factor and signed off for the day.
‘Just overlook you’re the son of a legend known as Sachin Tendulkar. You have your personal id. Just come tomorrow and begin coaching. I’ll prepare you for 15 days,’ Yograj advised Arjun.
Arjun went again, packed his package, and got here to the stadium the following day. Yograj was already ready for him.
“When Arjun came. I asked him to run 10 rounds of the stadium. He was running fine. Then I asked him to bowl in the nets. The problem was his left arm was very close to his ear while bowling. I corrected that first. He was a quick learner. He learned this thing very fast. He started bowling well,” Yograj advised TimesofIndia.com in an interview from the UK.
“I trained him because Yuvi and Sachin requested me. And I didn’t want to say no to Sachin. He was just concerned about his son,” Yograj additional stated.
Now, Arjun needed to tick one other field – his batting.
Yograj, who is thought to be a tough taskmaster on the sector, requested Arjun to pad up. Yograj had assigned some bowlers to bowl to Arjun and the 23-year-old was smacking the ball all around the park. He tonked some sixes too.
Yograj was impressed however he did not reward Arjun. He, the truth is stated ‘simply get out of your father’s shadow. Work exhausting and you’ll change into the world’s finest all-rounder’.
“The kid is very talented. His leaving the Mumbai cricket team is Mumbai’s huge huge loss. They will realise this soon. They have failed to discover his ability. I trained this guy because Sachin and Yuvi requested me. Sachin was worried about his son. He knows that his son is talented that’s why he wants him to be taken care of. When I entered the field, I told every bowler to stop treating Arjun as Sachin’s son and bowl at him with a fierce pace and produce the best spin against him. Arjun tonked them everywhere. He is a destroyer with the bat,” Yograj advised TimesofIndia.com.
“He is an all-rounder. Then why were teams sending him down the order? He is a hard-hitting all-rounder like Yuvraj. I see a lot of similarities between Yuvi and Arjun. He will go a long way. One day, the world will remember his name the way they remember Sachin’s name. Arjun will become the most destructive batsman in the world,” the 64-year-old additional stated.
‘MAI KHELEGA’ – WHEN ARJUN REMINDED YOGRAJ OF A YOUNG SACHIN
Tendulkar was hit on the nostril by a Waqar Younis bouncer in Sialkot throughout his debut collection in 1989. Despite the harm, the then 16-year-old continued to bat on fearlessly. His phrases “main khelega” after being hit have change into a part of cricketing folklore.
When Arjun was coaching below Yograj, an analogous incident occurred and the 64-year-old former cricketer hugged the teenager.
“Arjun was fielding and a direct throw from a boy hit his chin. He was almost bleeding. I looked at his face and said go and apply some ice on it and come tomorrow. He brought ice and said ‘mai khelega’. He reminded me of Sachin when he was hit by Waqar’s bouncer. I just hugged Arjun and said no let’s go to the doctor. There was a lot of swelling on his face. But he came for practice the next day. I just loved his determination,” Yograj recalled.
“I told him, Arjun, duniya se alag chalna padta hai, tabhi aage badhte hain aur tabhi sabb yaad rakhte hain (Arjun, we have to walk on our own path. Only then you will get success and be remembered by all),” he stated.
‘YOU ARE JUST LIKE YUVI’
Yuvraj Singh was palms down the most effective all-rounders the cricket world has ever produced. A left-arm spin bowling all-rounder, Yuvraj performed very important roles in India’s two World Cup triumphs – ICC T20 World Cup 2007 and ICC World Cup 2011. Among his well-known knocks, he’s finest identified for smashing 6 sixes off 6 balls off one Stuart Broad over throughout the 2007 T20 World Cup.
Yuvraj, the Man of the Tournament within the 2011 World Cup, went on to play 40 Tests, 304 ODIs, and 58 T20Is for India between 2000 and 2017 and scored 11,778 worldwide runs.
Yograj, when he requested Arjun to bat for 20 rounds in quarter-hour, the teenager confirmed some hard-hitting batting. He was choosing the lengths accurately, performed some aerial and lofted pictures, and pull pictures too.
“Arjun reminded me of Yuvi. Arjun is more a batsman than a bowler. He is a devastating batter. Yuvi used to bat in a similar fashion. With time we started sharing the relationship of a grandfather and grandson. I am really happy I could do something for him (Arjun),” Yograj stated.
Getting up early within the morning, bowling lengthy spells, and dealing with lots of of throwdowns have been a part of Arjun’s every day observe regime. Yograj had made a listing of issues Arjun needed to comply with with out fail.
After the observe periods, Arjun was instructed by Yograj to do a video name with him and talk about his day’s actions.
“One day he didn’t pick up my call. I scolded him via messages. I wanted him to focus. That’s it,” Yograj stated.
SACHIN’S CALL TO A ‘STRICT’ YOGRAJ
Yograj knew he had 15 days to coach the teenager and he needed to present every little thing he may earlier than he left for the UK. Sachin, after some days, known as Yograj to ask about his son and his progress.
“I told Sachin one thing ‘Arjun ko iski maa se dur rakhna’ (Keep Arjun away from his mother). No mother wants to see her kid injured, swollen, or bleeding. I told Sachin that I wanted Arjun to remain focused and keep doing what he has been doing. I told Sachin that your son is talented and Mumbai lost this talent,” Yograj advised TimesofIndia.com.
“Arjun will become one of the best cricketers in the world. I want to make Arjun for Sachin. Arjun will become as fearless as Yuvi. Arjun needed to come out of his father’s shadow. I told him – you are Arjun first and then Arjun Tendulkar and Sachin’s son.”
LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON: CENTURY ON DEBUT
Arjun was prepared for his first-class debut. Before padding up, he spoke to Yograj. Yograj stated ‘Arjun, go and specific your self’.
Playing for Goa, Arjun slammed a century on his first-class debut in opposition to Rajasthan. The feat got here precisely 34 years after Sachin, then 15, started his first-class journey with an unbeaten 100 in opposition to Gujarat on the Wankhede Stadium.
Batting at No. 7, Arjun smashed 120 off 207 deliveries, together with two sixes and 16 fours. He had moved from Mumbai to Goa at first of the season searching for extra alternatives.
“Arjun was extremely happy. He was almost in tears. I was extremely happy for him. But I told him strictly, just focus on the next game. Don’t just stick to one milestone, there will be many in the future. Sachin and Yuvi also called me after Arjun’s achievement. I told them to wait and watch this kid and let him be Arjun,” Yograj signed off.