Lets not forget who started all this…

[Ram]

Just like how there is an election season, it seems like this is now ‘Praise the Indian ODI outfit’ season. International players, both past and present, have competed with each other to marvel at this Indian ODI outfit using superlatives generally used to describe a Tiger Woods or a Michael Schumacher. ‘Freak of a team’ is what Martin Crowe chose to call us. KP, on the other hand, said that the ‘Indians are playing the ODI game at a totally different level’. And most fittingly, the NZ cricket board has decided to christen our outfit ‘Rockstars’. I doubt if there could be a more fitting adjective. Of course, there will always be a group of ‘purists’ who will choose to ignore all these accolades that we get due to our LOI cricket exploits. But the fact of the matter is, its our ODI and T20 performances in the last 15 months that has made the world sit-up and take notice. Given all this, isn’t it a good time to pay tribute to the player who probably forms the backbone of all this success? A player who was perhaps the pioneer of this brand of power-hitting? A player who has been part of our LOI success long before the Dhonis, the Rainas and the Yusuf Pathans came in and provided the additional power-boost? Of course, I am talking about this guy; Now, I know that we shouldn’t get carried away with all this ‘Powwwwweeeeerrrrr’ and ‘Phaaaaast bowling’ sorta slogans, but credit to where credit is due. Yuvraj Singh was the first Indian batsman to start the brand of batting that is now acting as the fulcrum of our ODI successes. We’ve always lavished praise on guys like Dravid, Sachin, VVS and Sehwag for their test exploits and rightly so. Some of their innings in the 5 day version of the game are pure masterpieces and no denying that. But it is quite inexplicable that Yuvraj’s exploits in the ODI and T20 forms of the game hardly gets a passing mention, even among Indian fans. Right now, our batting line-up may be spoilt for riches, but I am convinced that Yuvraj Singh is still the main engine around which the other booster rockets fire. Its very hard to imagine an Indian batting line-up minus Yuvraj Singh at the moment. Yuvraj Singh may not be a great of the game yet, but in my mind atleast, he’s one of the best match-winners that India has produced, notwithstanding the fact that most of contributions have so far been in the shorter versions of the game.

[suraj]

Just like how there is an election season, it seems like this is now ‘Praise the Indian ODI outfit’ season. International players, both past and present, have competed with each other to marvel at this Indian ODI outfit using superlatives generally used to describe a Tiger Woods or a Michael Schumacher. ‘Freak of a team’ is what Martin Crowe chose to call us. KP, on the other hand, said that the ‘Indians are playing the ODI game at a totally different level’. And most fittingly, the NZ cricket board has decided to christen our outfit ‘Rockstars’. I doubt if there could be a more fitting adjective. Of course, there will always be a group of ‘purists’ who will choose to ignore all these accolades that we get due to our LOI cricket exploits. But the fact of the matter is, its our ODI and T20 performances in the last 15 months that has made the world sit-up and take notice. Given all this, isn’t it a good time to pay tribute to the player who probably forms the backbone of all this success? A player who was perhaps the pioneer of this brand of power-hitting? A player who has been part of our LOI success long before the Dhonis, the Rainas and the Yusuf Pathans came in and provided the additional power-boost? Of course, I am talking about this guy; Now, I know that we shouldn’t get carried away with all this ‘Powwwwweeeeerrrrr’ and ‘Phaaaaast bowling’ sorta slogans, but credit to where credit is due. Yuvraj Singh was the first Indian batsman to start the brand of batting that is now acting as the fulcrum of our ODI successes. We’ve always lavished praise on guys like Dravid, Sachin, VVS and Sehwag for their test exploits and rightly so. Some of their innings in the 5 day version of the game are pure masterpieces and no denying that. But it is quite inexplicable that Yuvraj’s exploits in the ODI and T20 forms of the game hardly gets a passing mention, even among Indian fans. Right now, our batting line-up may be spoilt for riches, but I am convinced that Yuvraj Singh is still the main engine around which the other booster rockets fire. Its very hard to imagine an Indian batting line-up minus Yuvraj Singh at the moment. Yuvraj Singh may not be a great of the game yet, but in my mind atleast, he’s one of the best match-winners that India has produced, notwithstanding the fact that most of contributions have so far been in the shorter versions of the game.

Yes. And there were enuff ignorant people demanding Yuvi's ouster again and again because attitude blah blah blah!!! Yuvi Rules!!!!!

[swami1984]

Yes- the biggest reason for us not performing well in WC was missing Yuvi; our best batsman by far in the team.

?? Yuvi was in the playing 11 in 2007 WC

[suraj]

?? Yuvi was in the playing 11 in 2007 WC

Pata nahin kya bol raha hun main thats why I should not drink coffee I get drunk on it:giggle::giggle:

[punjabi_khota]

:isalute::isalute::yayru::yayru::yayru::yayru::yayru::yayru::yayru::yayru:

[Holysmoke]

:oohlala::oohlala::oohlala::oohlala::oohlala::oohlala::oohlala::oohlala::oohlala::oohlala:

[veer]

Yes, he is our one of top batsmen.. but he started it?? how?

[WeStMiDz]

When Yuvi's on song you just get the feeling that every single ball will go to the fence. The bowler is rendered helpless and the fielders become spectators. Only Sehwag can match him for this...

[rahulrulezz]

I agree...but I will also give credit to Sehwag ...Both Yuvi and Sehwag are genuine match-winners ...

[fineleg]

Yuvi did not start this. you are getting carried away a bit too much, MM. For one, sehwag started it before him. And even much before, Kapil Dev, Cheeka used to do power hitting esp Kapil Dev. They just did not have other players supporting that style. So, Yuvi is good, but did not start this.

[Holysmoke]

Yuvi did not start this. you are getting carried away a bit too much, MM. For one, sehwag started it before him. And even much before, Kapil Dev, Cheeka used to do power hitting esp Kapil Dev. They just did not have other players supporting that style. So, Yuvi is good, but did not start this.

[fineleg]

the point is abt who started it, so ur the one missing it.

[punjabi_khota]

Yuvi did not start this. you are getting carried away a bit too much, MM. For one, sehwag started it before him. And even much before, Kapil Dev, Cheeka used to do power hitting esp Kapil Dev. They just did not have other players supporting that style. So, Yuvi is good, but did not start this.

Queen of understatement, aren't you ? :winky:

[Dirty_South]

:hysterical::hysterical::hysterical::hysterical::hysterical: B->B->B->B->B->B->

[Mr. Wicket]

Yuvi did not start this. you are getting carried away a bit too much, MM. For one, sehwag started it before him. And even much before, Kapil Dev, Cheeka used to do power hitting esp Kapil Dev. They just did not have other players supporting that style. So, Yuvi is good, but did not start this.

Why don't you also extend your logic further and point out that Sir Aag was belting a 21-ball fifty back when Sehwag and Yuvraj were still trying to settle into the ODI team? :bird: You really are missing the point here.

[dial_100]

My vote goes to Yuvi as well.... Yeah Sehwag did lot of hitting but he wasn't as consistent as Yuvi. Again that can be argued... buy anyways, yes Yuvraj has brought lot of joy to indian cricket fans by some handsome hitting.

[goose]

The first time i watched him put bat to ball in Nairobi i said wow...this guy's the next Tendulkar. Nobody else, not even Sehwag, has ever made me say that on debut.

[suraj]

:confused_smile:

Yuvi did not start this. you are getting carried away a bit too much, MM. For one, sehwag started it before him. And even much before, Kapil Dev, Cheeka used to do power hitting esp Kapil Dev. They just did not have other players supporting that style. So, Yuvi is good, but did not start this.

Transforming "this" geaneartion of team and you are talking about Kapil and Cheeka:confused_smile: Should w enow bring Sandeep patil and Kirti Azad into the discussion too??

[fineleg]

:confused_smile: Transforming "this" geaneartion of team and you are talking about Kapil and Cheeka:confused_smile: Should w enow bring Sandeep patil and Kirti Azad into the discussion too??

for this gen, sehwag started it.

[satishg]

u are bloody damn rite Sriram..Yuvi was the one who started all this carnage..Viru was always attacking and so his gameplay was never different..but suddenly when Yuvi started hitting all those amazing sixes, it just ebbed on to every single batsman in the team and everybody started believing in themselves in their six hitting abilities..Robin Uthappa for instance..i think the T20 wc was the one where he started playing those audacious shots back over the bowler..then Suresh Raina and to an extent Gambhir as well..but Yuvi was the king of all this 6 hitting stuff and he still remains so by quite some margin :icflove: