Kamal Ghorui
Former India cricketer Yuvraj Singh has frequently spoken about the complicated relationship he shared with his father, former cricketer, actor Yograj Singh, whose intense training methods left a lasting impact on him. Now a father himself, Yuvraj has opened up about parenthood and how his own experiences have shaped the way he wants to raise his children.Yuvraj reflected on how becoming a parent transformed his perspective on life. “Oh, life’s been amazing. I think meri maa mujhe bolti hoti thi, ya dad mujhe bolte the, ‘Jab tera bachcha hoga na tab tujhe pata lagega kya hota hai woh pyaar.’ I think woh pyaar ek aisa hai jo aapko experience karna chahiye (My parents would say you will understand us once you have kids. The love for your kids is something only you can understand). It is an amazing feeling to be a dad,” he said in an interview with My FM India. The former all-rounder, who shares son Orion and daughter Aura with wife Hazel Keech, said watching his children grow has been deeply emotional for him.“Jaise-jaise mere bachche bade ho rahe hain, interactions, aapke khud ke genetics, usi tarah harkatein thoda usi tarah dikhna (As my kids are growing up, our interactions and I am seeing a mini-me in them). I think it’s the best feeling in the world to be a parent. It’s hard for all parents, but it’s just amazing to be a dad.”Yuvraj also explained that he wants to adopt a far more balanced parenting style than the one he experienced growing up. Speaking about whether he would pressure his children to pursue cricket, he said he believes kids should have the freedom to explore different interests.“In my experience, bachchon ko sab kuch karna chahiye. Sport ho, padhai ho, they should experience all sports. Jo bhi mann hai khelne ka (Children should experience everything. Whatever they are good at, they should pick it and work hard in it),” he shared.He added, “I feel force utna hi karna chahiye jitne ki zarurat hai. That is a very thin line — kitna you can push your kid. In our generation, dads who were players would push a lot, including mine.” During the conversation, Yuvraj also revealed that his own difficult childhood experiences have influenced the way he mentors younger players today, including cricketer Abhishek Sharma.“Jo mere dad ne mujhe sikhaya hai aur jo mujhe lagta hai ki yeh cheez nahi karni chahiye, toh I can do better things around to get the same skill out (What my dad taught me and there were things I felt were wrong. I felt I could do different things and get the same skill out).” Recalling a funny incident from training sessions, Yuvraj said, “For example, agar koi late hota hai ya discipline nahi hai toh matlab usse 50 rounds aur bhaga diye, 40 minute aur marwa di. Waise abhi Abhishek Sharma ko gym mein pocha marwaya tha. Uske baad woh late nahi hua (For example, if someone is perennially late and refusing to change their behaviour, it is not important that I make them do 50 rounds. I made Abhishek Sharma mop the gym, after that he was never late).”In an earlier interview with SMTV, Yograj Singh had admitted that his strict approach towards Yuvraj stemmed from the bitterness of his own cricketing journey, where he felt overlooked unfairly. Despite the emotional strain it caused within the family, Yograj said he did not regret his methods. “Yes, but the day Yuvi hands his children over to me, they will meet the same fate as he did. You can only forge gold through fire. There will be no mercy, because there is only one path… That’s what they fear, and that’s why we aren’t together,” he said. Yuvraj had previously spoken about how his bond with his father changed once cricket entered the picture. In a conversation with Sania Mirza, he said, “When I was a kid, he was a father. When he started coaching me, he was never a father after that, he was a coach. That’s probably the saddest part. What parents learn, they pass on to their children. We have to learn from that and be better for our kids. He did what he knew at that time, but it’s a very thin line as a parent.”
