Under the lights at the Wankhede Stadium, Yuvraj Singh stood at the peak of his powers, just 15 years ago on the 2nd of April 2011, a World Cup winner, the player of the tournament, the face of a generation that redefined India’s white-ball cricket. 15 years later, Yuvraj, now co-founder and brand ambassador of the Indian Golf Premier League (IGPL), was at the unveiling of its 10 franchises, their line-ups and host cities. When NDTV questioned him about how Yuvraj the coach links cricket with golf when he works with the likes of Abhishek Sharma and Shubhman Gill, his advice was disarmingly simple-” I would ask both of them to play golf with cricket”
He was open and clear-“I should have played golf earlier, which would have helped me in cricket,” Yuvraj said, reflecting on a career that had both brilliance and burnout.
He expanded on it with a pointed observation about how young cricketers are judged. “Suppose I get out of a match, or any youngster gets out, and he goes to play golf. You will say, why didn’t he go to practice? He went to play golf.”
The Southpaw delivered the crux. “But golf actually helps you unwind.”
For players like Gill, already carrying the weight of expectation, and Abhishek, still carving his space, the margins are as mental as they are technical.
Yuvraj’s argument points to a long-standing culture among overseas cricketers. “All the foreigners – Australians, Kiwis, English, South Africans – all cricketers have been playing golf since they were young kids.”
Yuvi reasons why he would suggest his wards to balance golf with cricket- “When you go out to bat… you are standing there alone. I understand it’s a team sport. But the point is, whatever sport you play, you have to put your heart and soul into it.”
That solitude, the quiet between deliveries, the internal dialogue, it is where careers are often shaped. Yuvraj talks about golf being a parallel discipline
For him, the journey into golf was not merely recreational, “When I started playing golf, I realised this is a very special game, and it deserves that accolade. We have some great talent out there, but they don’t have the right exposure.”
Yuvraj entered the space to help reach their message to a broader audience.
Asked if this journey was about a “second innings,” he reframed the idea entirely. “Life is not only about second innings. It’s also about how you start your first innings.”
It is a line that comes from a man who has seen the pinnacle of professional sports and is now on the path to giving back.
For Gill and Abhishek, the advice may seem unconventional in a system that prizes grind over everything else. Yuvi’s message is not about choosing golf over cricket. It is about understanding how to balance life on and off the pitch, to stand alone and find balance.