One of the most popular Indian cricketers, Yuvraj Singh, is famously known for hitting six sixes in six balls during the 2007 T20 World Cup. The talented sportsman created cricket history with this legendary moment. After his illustrious career as an athlete, Yuvraj Singh has now ventured into the world of hospitality and opened his first-ever restaurant, Koca, in Gurugram. Our editor-in-chief, Kamiya Jani, was the first guest at this amazing restaurant and joined him for a Sunday Brunch, along with Yuvraj Singh’s mother, Shabnam Singh. This episode was exciting—filled with delicious food and plenty of stories from Yuvraj’s childhood. Read on to learn all about it.
Yuvraj Singh’s Mother Spoke About His Cricket Career
Sampling the delicious fare at Yuvraj Singh’s new restaurant, we tried a variety of dishes. The highlight was a Japanese twist on Punjabi kadhi chawal. We enjoyed it so much! As we relished the meal, we were curious to know if Yuvraj preferred that his family members not come to the stadium to watch him play. He revealed that he certainly didn’t want his father to attend, as he would get angry whenever Yuvraj got out.
While his mother used to come in the early days, once he became a permanent player on the Indian cricket team and the pressure to perform increased, even she couldn’t handle watching. Every time she tried, she’d end up finding a place to pray instead. Eventually, she stopped going to the matches and would stay home. Whenever there was a game, she would just switch on the TV every five minutes to check if he was still batting or had gotten out—then go back to praying. Shabnam Singh also shared that before every match, she would visit a mandir or gurudwara to pray for his performance. Sometimes, she would even visit during the match itself.
Also Read: This Is What Shocked Mukesh Chhabra When He First Moved From Delhi To Mumbai!
He Revealed All About His First Paycheck
While discussing his journey to becoming a cricketer, we were also curious to know about Yuvraj Singh’s first paycheck and how he spent it. While his mother instantly recalled that he got ₹61,000 for signing with Reebok, Yuvraj reminded her that his first paycheck was actually ₹3,500 from Punjab Corporation Limited BCI. He shared that they waited four hours for that check—₹3,500 for a year of playing, at ₹500 a month. The next one was the ₹61,000 cheque he received after signing with Reebok. He gave both of these cheques to his mother. A landmark moment was when Yuvraj Singh received his first-ever cheque from the BCCI and used that money to buy a house for his mother.
In this episode, Yuvraj Singh also shared his journey of dealing with cancer. To learn all about it, watch the full episode on the Curly Tales YouTube channel.
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