I am sure Yuvraj Singh would be proud that his namesake has created history, says Yuvraj Singh Samra’s father

19-year-old Yuvraj is the youngest to score a hundred in an ICC World Cup — T20 or 50-overs. (PTI Photo)

When Baljeet Samra, an Indian immigrant in Toronto, became the father of a boy, he named him after his favourite cricketer Yuvraj Singh, the star of India's 2011 World Cup win. Over two decades ago Baljeet had migrated from Samra village near the India-Pakistan border in Punjab. Yuvraj Singh’s heroics in the ICC Knockout Trophy in Kenya had left a major impression on Baljeet before he left Indian shores in 2002.

Four years later, Samra would be blessed with a son — Yuvraj Singh Samra.

On Tuesday, 19-year-old Yuvraj became the youngest to score a hundred in an ICC World Cup — T20 or 50-overs — with 110 runs against New Zealand in Chennai.

Yuvraj Singh Samra with parents Baljeet Samra and Hoshiar Kaur and sister Sandeep Samra. (Image via special arrangement)

“I was a big fan of Yuvraj Singh’s batting. So when I and my wife Hoshiar Kaur were blessed with a son, we named him after Yuvraj Singh. To see our Yuvraj hit a T20 World Cup hundred and to become the youngest batter to do so is a special feeling. I am sure Yuvraj Singh too would be proud that his namesake has created history in the T20 World Cup. To play in a World Cup has been Yuvraj’s dream," Baljeet told The Indian Express from Toronto.

While Baljeet did various odd jobs in his early years in Canada, he would also play cricket for local clubs. His son too went to some of these club matches.

A mother's sacrifice

A young Yuvraj Singh Samra with his parents Baljeet Samra and Hoshiar Samra (Image via special arrangement)

The Samras would enrol Yuvraj at the Australasia Cricket Academy at the age of eight. With Yuvraj’s interest growing in cricket, his mother would give up her job at a car company to accompany Yuvraj to coaching classes. “Those were tough times as coaching sessions here can cost upto 100 dollars per hour. But we managed and we knew that Yuvraj’s hard work will not go to waste,” Baljeet said. During the winter months in Canada, Yuvraj would travel to India to train.

Yuvraj, who was trained initially by Amarinder Bhinder, a Cricket South Africa Level 3 coach living in Toronto, would break into the district Under-16 and Under-19 teams at the age of 12 and 13 respectively. He made his Canadian senior team debut in the ICC World Cup League 2 qualifiers against New Zealand last year.

“In winters, we would also travel to Chandigarh as well Amritsar to train under coaches Sandeep Sawal and Gagandeep Singh apart from training in England. He just wanted to play and practice wherever he could and be it winters or summers, he did not want anything to create any hindrance for him,” Baljeet said.

Sandeep Kharat coached Yuvraj at the Australasia Cricket Academy where he was enrolled at the age of eight. (Image via special arrangement)

Sandeep Kharat, the coach at the Australasia Cricket Academy, recalls the steady rise of Yuvraj.

"Right from when he came to train under us, his determination was something to be admired. He wanted to be an opener and while his focus was on staying at the crease and accumulating runs like in ODI cricket, he developed into a batsman with power hitting abilities. Imagine a 12-13 year old kid playing for U16 as well U19 teams and tearing apart the bowling attacks in club cricket as well all junior age groups in Canada. His lofted shots, cover drives are something which Yuvraj has displayed right from junior days. Today’s knock was his best," Kharat said.

In the 2011 World Cup, Yuvraj Singh had played a knock of 113 against West Indies at Chepauk. Fifteen years later, his namesake thrilled the Chepauk crowd.

“Yuvraj met Yuvraj Singh in the global T20 League in 2019 as well the Super 60. To see Yuvraj hit a hundred at the same ground where Yuvraj also hit an ODI hundred is something special," Baljeet said.

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