Indian cricket fans will always remember the ICC Knockout Trophy in 2000 as Yuvraj Singh’s international cricket debut. The event was held in Nairobi, and India was able to get to the finals but was defeated by New Zealand in a very close run by four wickets.
India, led by Sourav Ganguly, who was the highest run-getter of the tournament with 348 runs, displayed splendid cricket to beat Australia and South Africa to reach the final. Ganguly played a very important role, not only as a batsman but also as a leader and a guide for the new generation of players such as Yuvraj Singh.
Looking back to this period, Ganguly narrated a funny but very revealing story about Yuvraj Singh, who was only 17 years old at the time. Concerned about keeping Singh focused and disciplined, Ganguly instructed a security guard to ensure that the young talent stayed in his hotel room by 9:30 PM before match days. “He loves life,” Ganguly said, stressing that there was a need to keep an eye on Singh’s youthful energy.
This little story shows that Ganguly made the environment of the team very supportive. He saw that Yuvraj had it in him, but at the same time knew that youth are very likely to be distracted. The former captain’s pre-emptive plan was to make sure that Yuvraj would be in his best form in the important games.
During their run through the tournament, India won their first match against Kenya before going on to beat Australia by 20 runs in the quarter-final before thrashing South Africa by 95 runs in the semi-final. Nonetheless, they failed to clinch the championship against New Zealand.
Ganguly’s combination of discipline and encouragement reflected his desire to create a solid team foundation. This early coaching no doubt contributed to the young man who was to become one of India’s most admired cricket players, Yuvraj Singh.
