Yuvraj Singh, Tendulkar mourn Rajesh Khanna's death

Yuvraj Singh, Tendulkar mourn Rajesh Khanna's death

 

 

New Delhi: Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh has expressed grief on hearing the news of actor Rajesh Khanna’s death on Wednesday.

“Sad to hear about mr rajesh khanna I hope his soul rests in peace !!” he posted on twitter.
Sachin Tendulkar remembered watching many of his movies saying his whole family admired him as an actor.

“Very unfortunate to hear about the demise of Rajesh Khanna Ji. While growing up I watched so many of his movies...”

“..as my whole family admired him as an actor. He will live on in our hearts forever. May his soul rest in peace.” he posted on Twitter.

Former Indian batsman and commentator Sanjay Manjrekar also mourned his death pointing out Aradhna as the movie for the actors’ huge popularity among his legions of fans.

“Aradhana, I guess, achieved super stardom for both Kishore Kumar & Rajesh Khanna...magical combination of Indian cinema...sigh” he twitted.

Sports minister Ajay Maken remembered Rajesh Khanna as “a great human being”.

“Rajesh Khanna,an actor and a former MP from New Delhi, my Parliamentary Constituency,was above all a great human being.” he posted on twitter.

“Workers from New Delhi still remember this extra-ordinary Super Star mingling gently with ordinary workers. RIP Rajesh Khanna” he wrote.

New Delhi: He was down but not out. After having the battle against cancer, Yuvraj Singh is all set to regain his place in Team India.

The swashbuckling all-rounder was on Wednesday was named in the 30 probables for the T20 World Cup, scheduled to be held in Sri Lanka in September.

However, it is not certain whether the southpaw, who recently underwent treatment for cancer, will make the cut for the final 15 that will be announced in August.


Yuvraj will have to prove his match fitness for the tournament and will be eager to do so.
Off spinner Harbhajan Singh, who has been out of the Indian team for quite some time, has also been included in the preliminary squad.

A few promising youngsters such as all-rounder Mandeep Singh and wicketkeeper-batsman Naman Ojha and domestic veterans such as batsman Ambati Rayudu were picked in the list announced by the BCCI secretary Sanjay Jagdale.

Paceman Laxmipathy Balaji, who last played an international match in 2009, was also part of the provisional list which will be pruned to a 15-member squad at a later stage.

Surprise picks in the squad are long-forgotten Balaji, who has not played any Twenty20 for the national team. In fact, Balaji's last ODI appearance for the country was back in 2009 against Sri Lanka.

The rest of the squad features players who have been in and out of the team on a rotational basis.

Youngsters in the line-up include batsman Ajinkya Rahane, who would be filling up for Sachin Tendulkar in the upcoming tour of Sri lanka. Shikhar Dhawan, who endured an indifferent tour of the West Indies with the India A squad, has also been included.

The World Twenty20 will begin on September 18 with the men's competition while the women's matches will begin on September 26.



Indian Squad

Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina, R. Ashwin, Pragyan Ojha, Umesh Yadav, Ashok Dinda, Ajinkya Rahane, Manoj Tiwary, Rahul Sharma, Vinay Kumar, Zaheer Khan, Yuvraj Singh, Robin Uthappa, Irfan Pathan, Yusuf Pathan, Mandeep Singh, Piyush Chawla, Ravindra Jadeja, Shikhar Dhawan, Ambati Rayudu, Harbhajan Singh, Munaf Patel, Naman Ojha, Dinesh Karthik, Praveen Kumar, L. Balaji

Yuvraj in India's ICC World Twenty20 probables

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New Delhi: Yuvraj Singh, who returned from cancer treatment in the USA in April, has been named in a 30-man probables squad for September's ICC World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka.

Two of the batting stars of IPL 5, Ajinkya Rahane (560 runs at 40.00) and Shikhar Dhawan (569 at 40.64) have been included on the basis of their Twenty20 form this year, as has Kolkata Knight Riders and Tamil Nadu seamer L Balaji, who was miserly with the ball in IPL 5.

Yuvraj, 30, has not played international cricket since India's tour of England last summer. After two and half months in the USA battling a rare germ-cell cancer called mediastinal seminoma,Yuvraj earlier this month cited Twenty20 as the ideal format for him to explore his return to competitive cricket. He recently started training at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore.

The 30-man list also includes two uncapped players in Mandeep Singh, the Punjab batsman who was the leading run-scorer for Kings XI Punjab in IPL 5, as well as Mumbai Indians' Ambati Rayudu.

Mandeep, 20, has been a consistent performer on the domestic circuit, especially in Twenty20 cricket, but it was his stellar IPL 5 returns that earned him inclusion in the selectors’ list. In 16 innings he scored 432 runs at 27.00 with two half-centuries. The 26-year-old Rayudu, whose natural talent has never yet earned him India selection, scored 333 runs at 37.00 for Mumbai in IPL 5, the second-highest number behind Rohit Sharma whose name also featured in the list of 30.

Balaji, 30, has not played for India since February 2009 but was outstanding in IPL 5. His economy rate of 5.40 from eight matches was the best of the tournament, while his average of 14.72 was sixth best overall. Balaji’s miserly and penetrative form with the ball was a major factor in KKR reaching the IPL final, and though he did not play in that match his captain Gautam Gambhir dedicated the victory to his trusted bowler.

Harbhajan Singh, who has been overlooked in India’s fixtures since the tour of England, has also been named in the squad despite an average domestic and IPL season. He is currently playing for Essex in county cricket. Harbhajan is one of four specialist spinners named in the probables, alongside R Ashwin, Pragyan Ojha, Rahul Sharma and Pragyan Ojha. Spin-bowling allrounders Ravindra Jadeja and Yusuf Pathan are also included.

Also named in the probables was Robin Uthappa, who played in India’s one-off Twenty20 international against South Africa in March but whose career has been chequered. Uthappa had an average IPL 5, but the selectors have penned him into the list of 30.

The selectors have named, aside from captain MS Dhoni, two specialist wicketkeepers in the pool of 30 – Rayudu kept wickets for Mumbai to fit the needs of the team and Uthappa is not a regular wicketkeeper – in Dinesh Karthik and Naman Ojha.

India probables: MS Dhoni, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina, R Ashwin, Pragyan Ojha, Umesh Yadav, Ashok Dinda, Ajinkya Rahane, Manoj Tiwary, Rahul Sharma, Vinay Kumar, Zaheer Khan, Yuvraj Singh, Robin Uthappa, Irfan Pathan, Yusuf Pathan, Mandeep Singh, Piyush Chawla,  Ravindra Jadeja, Shikhar Dhawan, Ambati Rayudu, Harbhajan Singh,  Munaf Patel, Naman Ojha, Dinesh Karthik, Praveen Kumar, L Balaji.

Can Yuvraj Singh make a resounding comeback into the Indian team?

Yuvraj Singh, a sailor of troubled waters

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"Smooth seas don't make skillful sailors." No other cricketer today epitomizes that saying more than Yuvraj Singh, whose international career has been irregular but intriguing; erratic but exemplary; flinching but fabulous.

Since he burst onto the international scene in 2000 with a cracking 84 in his first innings, against Australia in Kenya, Yuvraj has faced a series of setbacks, both mental and physical. After his a dream start to his career, a string of low scores followed. He was ostensibly vulnerable against the quality spin and voices were raised to drop him from the team, though Sourav Ganguly supported him to the hilt.Indifferent form was a constant of Yuvraj, and even when he scored – the NatWest Series final at Lord’s in July 2002 was the high point of his fledgling career - he was deemed as undisciplined and brash. His focus and commitment were constantly under the scanner and his colourful lifestyle provided ample grist to rumour mills. His name constantly featured in gossip columns pertaining to his rollicking flings.

Yuvraj also had some personal demons to exorcise. He was unable to convert his half-centuries into hundreds and that took a toll on him mentally. He later admitted that he sought the help of a psychologist to allay the turbulence boiling in his head. But after he notched up his first ODI century against Bangladesh at Dhaka in 2003, his career took an upswing.

He was promoted up the order to No. 4 which enabled him rattle up centuries on a regular basis. His ton against Australia in 2004 and another against Pakistan in 2006 enhanced his reputation as a batsman who could score runs in all parts of the world. Receiving the Man-of-the-Series award against Pakistan in 2006 was another high point of his career.

Despite cementing his place in an ODI squad, Yuvraj failed to do well in Test matches despite getting many opportunities. From 2003-2011, Yuvraj played 37 Test matches but was dropped on numerous occasions, sometimes during a series, and his Test career has remain chequered.

Many eminent former cricketers, including Kapil Dev, questioned his commitment to the game. Despite all the disappointments and negative hype surrounding him, Yuvraj continued to sail on the happy cloud.

In the inaugural ICC World Twenty in 2007, he took the cricketing world by storm by smashing six sixes in an over off Stuart Broad. Suddenly his connect with his fans grew stronger, because they saw him as a sensitive but lion-hearted person who wasn’t immune to the vagaries of life. Yuvraj’s stirring vulnerability only added to his charisma and made people warm to him.

The year 2010 was tough. Yuvraj was grappling with a slew of injures, he had put on a weight and subsequently was dropped from the ODI squad for the Asia Cup. His form had deserted him and apparently he indulged in a brawl at St. Lucia during the World Twenty in the Caribbean for which he was berated.

With critics on his back, Yuvraj seemed down on his luck. However, being included for the 2011 World Cup changed his fortunes. His batting and bowling form – he scored 362 runs and took 15 wickets - propelled India into the final and Yuvraj was adjudged Player of the Series for his resplendent performance. Once again, he became the toast of India.

But just when he was soaking up his crowning glory, life handed another tough battle to Yuvraj, the toughest of all he had faced. In late 2011, it was reported that Yuvraj had a non-malignant tumour in his lungs. It sent shock waves among all the cricket fans. It was also revealed that during the World Cup Yuvraj had bouts of coughing and vomiting but he ignored them by taking pain-killers for the sake of the team.

Yuvraj went through the painful diagnosis period in the USA while fans in India prayed for a speedy recovery. His treatment went off well and he returned to India and recentlt started training at the NCA in Bangalore. Yuvraj also expressed a desire to return for the Twenty20s against New Zealand in September as well as the World Twenty the same month, and on Wednesday his inclusion in India's 30-member preliminary squad for that event was met with widespread joy among the cricketing fraternity.

If he does make a successful comeback to international cricket after being diagnosed with cancer, Yuvraj’s story will be regarded as one of the most spectacular achievements by a sportsperson.

Yuvraj named in Twenty20 World Cup squad

All-rounder Yuvraj Singh has been named in a preliminary 30-man squad for the Twenty20 World Cup, raising hopes of a return to international cricket after undergoing cancer treatment.

All-rounder Yuvraj Singh has been named in a preliminary 30-man squad for the Twenty20 World Cup, raising hopes of a return to international cricket after undergoing cancer treatment.

The 30-year-old, who has played 37 tests, more than 250 one-dayers and 23 Twenty20 internationals, has not appeared in any form of the game since last November when he was diagnosed with lung cancer.

He underwent chemotherapy in the United States before returning to India in April to continue his rehabilitation.

The player of the tournament at last year's 50-over World Cup won by hosts India, Yuvraj told ICC media last month he had started training in the hope of playing for India at Twenty20's showpiece event in Sri Lanka in September and October.

Yuvraj played a major role in putting the shortest form of the sport on the map when he blasted six sixes in one over off England's Stuart Broad at the inaugural World Cup in South Africa in 2007.

Yuvraj praises Lee, says 'sad' he retired

Bangalore, Jul 14: Describing Brett Lee a champion bowler and world class athlete, Indian all-rounderYuvraj Singh is "sad" that the Australian paceman has quit international cricket.

Lee announced his international retirement on Friday at the Syndey Cricket Ground (SCG). However, the 35-year-old has decided to continue playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and Big Bash League (BBL).

Tributes have been pouring in for the retired fast bowler and on Saturday, Yuvraj took to twitter to express his thoughts for his friend who decided to hang up his boots.

"A man who always bowld his heart out A match winnr champion bowlr wrld clas athlete a lovely friend a good human I'm sad bret lee hs retired," tweeted Yuvraj (@YUVSTRONG12) on Saturday afternoon.

The left-hander, who is eyeing a return to the Indian team, also wrote about his favourite Lee moment. He recalled a match involving India and Australia in a One Day International in Perth in 2004.

In another tweeted, he wrote: "My favourite lee moment 2004 india vs aus at perth vb series ! Gilly was standing on 30 yard circle and binga was firing 155km! Phew!!"

Lee and Yuvraj played together for Kings XI Punjab in the IPL. However, later Yuvraj moved to Pune Warriors while Lee was signed up by Kolkata Knight Riders.

Later, Lee thanked Yuvraj on twitter. He wrote (@BrettLee_58) "@YUVSTRONG12 thanks legend, hope you're going strong."

Yuvraj Singh condoles Rustam-e-Hind Dara Singh's death

Yuvraj Singh has started training after recovering from a rare germ cell cancer 

India’s star cricketer Yuvraj Singh condoled the death of wrestler-turned-actor Dara Singh, who passed away on Thursday morning after prolonged illness.

Yuvraj wrote on microblogging site Twitter, “Very sad to hear about dara singh ji! May his soul rest in peace !! Heart goes out to vindu and family.”

The veteran actor-wrestler, who was also a member of the parliament breathed his last at 7.30 am at his residence in Mumbai, Zee News reported. He was 84.

His son, Vindu Dara Singh announced news of the death of Dara, who was also known as ‘Rustam-e-Hind Dara Singh’.

Yuvraj, who was nominated for the Arjuna Awards, is eyeing the T20 World Cup in Sri Lanka for a comeback but admits that he needs some serious match practice to get into the groove for the rigours of international cricket. 

Yuvraj, who has started training after recovering from a rare germ cell cancer, said he was not thinking of playing Test cricket as yet and was focused on making a comebck in the shorter formats.

Cricketer Yuvraj Singh to tell story of his cancer battle in a memoir

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Cricketer Yuvraj Singh's memoir 'In Different Form', is scheduled to be published in December 2012 by Random House India.

The publishers in a press release say the memoir will be an open, candid, intimate and remarkably personal account of his journey through cancer - from denial and acceptance, from his battle to defeat the disease to the struggles he still faces.

For the first time Singh will tell, in his own words, the real story behind the 2011 World Cup when on-the-field triumph hid increasingly puzzling health problems and worrying illnesses. The cricketer says, "If I think of it my life is full of words beginning with C. I was born in Chandigarh, I became a cricketer, and through my decade as an international cricketer all I craved, along with the rest of the India team, was the Cup. This story, though, is about the new C in my life. It is the story of my cancer."

He will reveal how, plagued with insomnia, coughing fits that left him vomiting blood and an inability to eat, he made a deal with God on the night before the final to give him the World Cup, and in return God could take anything he wanted.

In the memoir he will speak honestly about the fears, doubts and lows he experienced during chemotherapy - when he lost energy, lost his appetite and lost his hair – and he had to battle to find the will to survive. And, most importantly, he will speak to other sufferers to help them come through the sadness, loneliness, fear and desperation of cancer.

Like Lance Armstrong's 'It's Not About The Bike', 'In Different Form' will be a brutally honest account of a sportsman fighting not for victory, but for his life.

Milee Ashwarya, editorial director for Ebury Press, Random House India acquired the memoir from Shruti Debi at Aiken Alexander India.

Ashwarya say, "In Different Form helps us understand Yuvraj as a cricketer and as a person through his most trying times. I felt Yuvraj’s story needed to be told, and we at RHI are delighted that he has chosen us to help him do that."

Yuvraj Singh says, "From the World Cup to cancer, the last two years have taught me a lot. In the team I am someone who feels I can help youngsters with what I have learned from my mistakes and always keep the team in great spirits. After cancer when I found out how many cancer patients there are in India, I learned that I belong to a much bigger group of people. I can imagine they may be lonely, confused, scared. So, I wanted to share my ups and downs. Guys, we are one team. I am thrilled that Random House India have joined me in giving shape to this book. I am thrilled also at the coincidence that they published Lance Armstrong’s book. I can't wait to see this book become a reality."

Random House India will publish In Different Form on 12th December 2012 in hardback and also special leather-bound edition.

Rahul Dravid, Yuvraj Singh recommended sporting honours

The BCCI has decided to recommend Rahul Dravid for the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award and Yuvraj Singh for the Arjuna Award. “We will be forwarding the names of Rahul Dravid for Khel Ratna Award and Yuvraj Singh for the Arjuna Award next week (to the government),” BCCI’s CAO Prof Ratnakar Shetty said on Saturday. The government had recently extended the deadline for the nominations till July 20. Dravid retired from all forms of the game at the international level following the Test series in Australia last year after having accumulated over 23,000 runs in Tests and ODIs combined. If awarded the highest sports award in the country that was instituted in 1991-92, Dravid would follow the footsteps of Sachin Tendulkar (1997-98) and Mahendra Singh Dhoni (2007-08) as the third cricketer to win the coveted award. So far 20 sportspersons have been bestowed the award. Yuvraj, who has started practicing at the nets at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore after his battle with a rare form of germ cell cancer between his lungs, was India’s hero in the 2011 World Cup triumph. Yuvraj is also eyeing a T20 World Cup comeback. He, however, admits that he needs some serious match practice to get into the groove for the rigours of international cricket. “Ranji Trophy is after World T20. In any case, one can’t prepare for T20 playing Ranji Trophy. The serious match practice that I can get ahead of World T20 is Mon-ud Dowla Trophy and Buchi Babu tournaments but I am still not aware about the dates of these tournaments,” Yuvraj told media persons at the launch of the “YouWeCan” campaign — an initiative by the Yuvraj Singh Foundation to spread awareness about cancer detection. Although he is thinking of making a comeback in the shorter versions, Yuvraj doesn’t want to look too far ahead as far as playing in the Test matches are concerned. “Right now, I don’t want to think about Test matches. For me, it’s important to play any format whether T20 or limited overs. About Tests, it will depend on my form, time and fitness,” he said.

Yuvraj Singh's party in Delhi

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Yuvraj

Yuvraj Singh looked like he was celebrating life at this party, which is exactly what he was doing. The cricketer and now cancer survivor recently announced a cancer awareness initiative by his charity foundation, and to celebrate that and his recovery, he organized a little gettogether at Club Czar over the weekend.

Of course, with him and other cricketers in attendance, the party, hosted by Yuvi's friends Honey Katyal and Nishant Singhal, didn't stay 'little' for very long.

Perfect role model is what friend and fellow cricketer Gautam Gambhir  called Yuvi. Shabnam Singh, Yuvi's mom, and Gauti were there before him, and Gauti said, "The initiative is going to help many people suffering from cancer. Yuvraj is the perfect role model for them." When asked how he felt after first learning of Yuvraj's diagnosis, Gautam said, "I read a comment he made in one of his interviews - that after being diagnosed, he missed cricket, of course, but realized that it's just a game. Obviously, there was shock among us, his teammates, but everyone wanted him to get well and get back on the field."

Shabnam told us, "Lance Armstrong gave him a lot of motivation, and Yuvi was prepared for what was going to happen. He knew that the treatment was going to make him cry, and he didn't shy away from that. We want to spread awareness about cancer and motivate people, and tonight, we're celebrating with friends and family."

Yuvraj, in fact, was so happy at being with those friends and family that he didn't really want to talk! Bouncers also kept cameras away from the man of the hour, even though he and buddy Virat Kohli  continued to pose with fans and pals. Apart from Virat, cricketers Virender Sehwag(with wife Aarti) and Ashish Nehra  were also there. Gauti and Sehwag left early, but Nehra, Virat, Rohit Rajpal, Alka and Monu Bali and Sonu and Atul Wassan stayed on.

Yuvraj Singh visits BMB sets to cheer for father

Yuvraj Singh visits BMB sets to cheer for father

It'€™s a father-son reunion story warm            enough to be translated into a tender screenplay. It was indeed a historical moment when star-cricketer Yuvraj Singh made it a point to be present for his father Yograj Singh's shooting of Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's Bhaag Milkha Bhaag.Yograj Singh, a Punjabi-Hindi actor of nearly three decades'€™ experience before the camera (he was first seen in J.P.Dutta' Batwara in 1983) plays Milkha Singh's coach in Mehra’s film. Yuvraj suddenly showed up to show solidarity with his father when Yograj began to shoot for the film. Says the friend, "€œAfter his illness, Yuvraj has become closer to his father. Bhaag Milkha Bhaag is the first film featuring his father that Yuvraj made it a point to take interest in. When Yuvraj arrived on location, we could see his father was deeply moved."

                       


While Yuvraj remained unavailable for comment, Rakeysh Mehra confirmed the incident. "€œIt was an extremely interesting moment when Yuvraj dropped in on the sets. He gave the clap for his father Yograj's shot. Yuvraj's presence was a great inspiration for the cast and crew. Personally it meant a lot to me. My film is an inspiring story of a sports legend. To have a contemporary sports icon’s father in my film and to have the sports icon visiting our set was according to me, a moment of history."

I have seen so much of blood that I hate red colour now: Yuvraj Singh

I have seen so much of blood that I hate red colour now: Yuvraj Singh

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yuvraj singh

NEW DELHI: Almost everyone in this world feel that 'red is the colour of love' but if you are a certainYuvraj Singh , then you have more reasons to believe that even 'shades of grey' can have a soothing feeling than colour red.

Even a year back, Yuvraj would have told you that he loved everything red but not anymore for the man who has successfully battled against a rare germ cell cancer.

"Red used to be my favourite colour but I have seen so much of blood that now I hate red. The colour irritates me," Yuvraj said during an interaction with mediapersons at his cricket academy in Pathways School, Gurgaon recently.

As Lance Armstrong  would tell you that "It's Not About the Bike", Yuvraj now realizes that it's certainly not about 'the bat' anymore.

"My approach towards the game has been changed. Of course, it will be the biggest achievement for me whenever I will play my first game for the country (after recovering)."

He recalled the hard days during treatment and how it felt being back to normal life.

"I struggled to breathe earlier. Now I am breathing with both lungs. I can eat samosa. I could smell food during chemo but could not eat it. I am relieved to be able to live like a normal man now," the 30-year-old said in a pragmatic tone.

After initial realization that he has been affected by a dreadful disease, the stylish left-hander did feel that he may not be able to play again.

"I was in bed for 4-6 months and only I can feel what it means to be back on the field. Even I did not imagine that I will be able to play again but my progress has been good. I can't describe in words, how it felt when I had my first knocking session."

For the past couple of weeks, Yuvraj has time and again expressed his desire to be a part of World T20 Championship but he doesn't want to rush things.

"I am not worried. Obviously, I want to play but I can't keep thinking about it," he added.

The 'Man of The Tournament' during World Cup admitted that initial phase of training was "really painful."

"For the first two weeks, every muscle in my body was paining. The body used to be bit shaky but I'm 50-55 per cent there. Rest, I will attain in two month.

"I am hitting the ball well. The hand-eye co-ordination is better although the feet movement is slow. The best part is that I don't get tired now. Hopefully, I will be able to make a comeback in T20 World Cup," Yuvraj, who is working out for six hours a day, concluded.