Yuvraj Singh recently stated that he is not in regular contact with Virat Kohli because the latter is busy, following his ‘we’re not the best of friends’ revelation about MS Dhoni. Cricketer Yuvraj Singh was a senior member, a big star, and someone who commanded respect when Virat Kohli broke into the Indian team. Before Kohli made his debut in 2008, Yuvraj had already played in two ODI World Cups, won a T20 World Cup, and become the first Indian cricketer to hit six sixes in an over.
However, there were many similarities between the two. Yuvraj, from Punjab, and Kohli, from Delhi, are both from northern India. Both had a lot of raw talent when they were young. Both came up through India’s U-19 teams and had outgoing personalities. Kohli, like Yuvraj, did not take long to establish himself in the Indian team.
Cricketer Yuvraj Singh:
By the time the 2011 ODI World Cup rolled around, Kohli was not only an important member of the squad but also a sure starter. Yuvraj, on the other hand, was a match-winner. He was the one who was expected to make a difference, and he did so with both bat and ball to win the Player of the Tournament award as India ended their 28-year wait for an ODI World Cup title.
Yuvraj and Kohli’s cricket careers, on the other hand, began to diverge following the 2011 World Cup. Yuvraj played the entire tournament while suffering from cancer, it was later revealed. He was forced to take a long break from cricket to receive treatment.
His return to the Indian team took 17 months, but his first ODI since the World Cup final against Sri Lanka in April 2011 came in December 2012. He played a home series against Pakistan, followed by a series against England, but his performance in both series was insufficient to secure a spot in India’s squad for the 2013 Champions Trophy.
Blast from the past:
By this point, Kohli had made rapid progress in all aspects of the game. He firmly established himself in the side and gradually began to earn the reputation that Yuvraj once held in the Indian team – that of a match-winner in white-ball cricket.
Yuvraj would obviously return to the Indian team only to be dropped again, and then again, before finally being dropped after a mediocre Champions Trophy followed by a West Indies tour in 2017. Kohli’s meteoric rise continued during this time. He took over the white-ball sides from MS Dhoni in 2017 after becoming Test captain in 2014-15.
During these years, a bond developed between Yuvraj and Kohli. Between 2008 and 2017, the pair appeared in three Tests, 64 ODIs, and 33 T20Is. In the IPL, they always shared the dressing room with the Royal Challengers Bangalore.
When Yuvraj and Kohli meet – the last time they did so in public was at a T20I between India and Australia in Mohali in 2022 – they act like childhood friends. However, Yuvraj recently stated that he doesn’t talk to Kohli as much because the latter is very busy. Yuvraj said on the TRS Podcast when asked if he talks to Kohli. “Not really. I don’t bother him because he’s busy. Cheeku was the name of the young Virat Kohli. There’s a big difference between Cheeku and Virat Kohli today.”
Yuvraj and Dhoni:
In the same podcast, Yuvraj discussed his friendship with Dhoni, saying that they were good friends who always gave their all for Team India. Yuvraj, for his part, praised Kohli for the type of batter he is and for ushering in a fitness revolution in Indian cricket. “We all wanted to be a fit team, but there was a big difference when he (Kohli) became captain. He set a standard,” Yuvraj said.
Yuvraj also made fun of Kohli’s football skills, claiming that he is the Cristiano Ronaldo of cricket. “He thinks he’s a great footballer, but I’m better. He’s young and likes to run around. He imagines himself to be Cristiano Ronaldo, but he is not. He is in cricket. In terms of fitness, it corresponds to (their mentality), as does the focus on the game,” he added.
Kohli recently surpassed Sachin Tendulkar’s world record of 49 One-Day International centuries. He will next be seen in action against the Netherlands in India’s final World Cup group-stage match before the big semi-finals against New Zealand, Pakistan, or Afghanistan.
So, this was all about the Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh. Also read, Meet Cristiano Ronaldo’s Girlfriend Georgina Rodriguez.
