I have been working hard on my fitness: Yuvraj Singh

After making a comeback to the Indian squad, 35-year old southpaw Yuvraj Singh has gone on to state that it is the right time for Virat Kohli to take over the reins of captaincy. However, he first went on to speak about MS Dhoni, who he had played under for the better part of India’s golden period in cricket from 2007 to 2011.

“I think he’s been an extremely good captain for India. We won the 2007 World T20 in South Africa, 2011 World Cup under him they are really big achievements. We were the No. 1 Test team under him. These are amazing achievements and I’m not sure how many captains have that kind of a record. He’s been very calm and composed.”

It will be like the old days playing with him (Dhoni) when we had started. Obviously, I started much before him (Yuvraj made his India debut in 2000 and Dhoni in 2004) but back then we were fearless when we used to play together. We can do the same this time, in the upcoming series.”

He went on to add, “I think mental strength is something that you want to gain after playing for so many years. You want to be mentally strong at the highest level because it can be physically and mentally demanding. But if your mentally strong then your body will follow.”

Speaking about his battle with cancer, Yuvraj went on to state that, “When we talk about inspiration, I was inspired by Lance Armstrong when I was going through cancer. I think I have inspired a lot of people to come out of their own adversity. It’s tough when you go through a period like this in your life when you don’t know where your life is going to go.”

He went on to add that he had worked furiously hard on his fitness. “Yes, I’ve been working pretty hard on my fitness because as you grow older you have to work harder on your body. In your mid-30s your body asks for a lot of training and recovery time. I’ve changed my diet completely and I’ve been putting some extra hours because of my body went through during cancer.

Yuvraj Singh feels that new full-time skipper Virat Kohli inspires others with his own performances. “Talking about Virat Kohli, I have seen him grow up in front of my eyes as a youngster and was always getting better and better. What’s special about Virat is that he commands performance. He has been very consistent throughout his career and that fire and consistency has converted him into a very good captain.”

“I think that is what he demands from the team all the time. 100 percent commitment and that’s the hallmark of a good captain. Every year he gets better with his performances. He I think sets his own goals tries to get better with every performance.”

“Earlier, he (Kohli) used to get lot of runs, converted them into hundreds and then this year he has started getting double hundreds. I don’t know, who averages over 50 in all three formats. Hopefully, Virat continues that and takes India to the next level,” concluded Yuvraj.