Mohali, March 28: Yuvraj Singh may not oblige his fans at his hometown in the India-Pak semifinal at the PCA grounds on Wednesday.In fact, Yuvraj, who has turned out to be India's trump card this Cup, shining both with the bat and ball, has hit just hit three sixes in the tournament so far.
"He (Yuvraj) has matured into a very good utility cricketer and I see that as a great change in him," Yograj said.Yuvraj etched his name into the record books after becoming the first player in the World Cup to take five wickets and score a half century in the same match.
Witnessing the change in the mercurial left-hander's batting, his father Yograj Singh, a former Test cricketer himself and a prominent participant in India TV's show Bigg Toss, said, "you must have noticed that he is not going for those big sixes now. He is finishing the game and that is more important".
Watch VideoIn the Ahmedabad quarterfinals against Australia, Yuvraj struck unbeaten 57 finishing the game with Suresh Raina, with his knock studded with eight boundaries, but no six. After the match, he collected his fourth man-of-the match trophy.
Yuvraj's six sixes in an over remains one of the most cherished moments in Indian cricket but given that the flamboyant batsman has shunned aggression for a bit of caution these days, the number of such lusty blows would come down, says his father and mentor Yograj.
Yuvraj sixes came off England's Chris Broad in a Twenty20 World Cup match in 2007 in South Africa.
Yuvraj did not need to bat in India's opening World Cup encounter against Bangladesh while in the tied match against England at Bangalore, he hit 58, again with no six.Against Ireland too, Yuvraj made a patient 50 of 75 balls, with just three boundaries and no six.
Yuvraj's first six of the Cup was hit against South Africa at Nagpur, in which he made just 12 runs and India lost. Against West Indies in Chennai, Yuvraj Singh made a brilliant 113, that included two sixes. PTI