Yuvi: The Rajnikanth Of Cricket

Rajnikanth is that eternal hero who beats the villains and defies death to emerge victorious in the end, in movie after movie after movie. Rajni cannot die, Rajni won't die. He might get battered, bruised, tortured and killed but he won't die. Bleading, soiled and tottering, he will stand up one more time, toss his hair off his forehead and declare, "Kanna Panninka Thaan Koottama Varum. Singam Singallaa Thaan Varum." Kid, the pigs come in a herd, the Lion comes alone !

Yuvraj Singh fondly known as Yuvi was the Rajnikanth of Cricket. He won the Under 15 World Cup, Under 19 World Cup, the T20 World Cup and the 2011 CWC. He carried a tumour in his chest and batted in pain to see India home to glory in 2011, rightfully named the Man of the Tournament.

Yuvi was the epitome of style. He was the Style Icon. When he drove through the covers, it was like Rajni's cigarette flick. It set the stadiums ablaze. When he pulled over midwicket, it contained the punch. When he played those gigantic lofted shots, they were statements like those famous Rajni one-liners.

Yuvi dived and plucked catches from thin air, pretty much like Rajni snatched guns from the hands of villains. Yuvi was dismissed as pie-chucker when he bowled but he would catch the big fish with the same stealth and felicity as shown Rajni when he misleads villains with his wits.

There were those six sixers, those disdainful shots and the never say die spirit. Rajni came back from the dead. Yuvi defied death and came back. When he got going, everything else became side show. In the show of a lifetime, Yuvi was the showman who bettered Rajni.

There are several greats in the rich legacy of Indian cricket. There was God, there was God of the Off side, there was the Wall, there was the God of fourth innings and there is a God of chases. Among so much of divinity, there was a human hero, in flesh and blood, who ached, pained, suffered, fell and then rose to the occasion. Gods can be revered but the human hero is always loved, more than the Gods. Yuvi was that quintessential hero who won hearts.

The greatest hero of our times in white ball cricket has moved on. Cricket hasn't seen a better winner than Yuvi, like cinema hasn't seen a better mass entertainer than Rajni. And yes, like Rajni, Yuvi is the Double Dozen guy; born on 12th of December. Gautam Gambhir is absolutely right when he said, "BCCI should retire the No. 12 jersey in respect to Yuvraj Singh." It will be nigh impossible to find another Human Hero to fill that void.

Well played Yuvi, the world of Cricket loved you. Long live the Yuvistrong spirit !

Govind Raj Shenoy for DieHard Cricket Fans