13 July,2026 03:28 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Yuvraj Singh, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Abhishek Sharma at Wimbledon (Pic: Abhishek/Instagram)
Indian icon Yuvraj Singh has come up with an analogy to describe the evolution of fearless Indian batters, likening himself, Abhishek Sharma and teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to different versions of the iconic Hollywood franchise 'Terminator', starring Arnold Schwarzenegger.
The former India all-rounder, who has acted as a long-term mentor for Abhishek, said that 15-year-old prodigy Sooryavanshi shows that the new generation is fearless. He also expressed a strong desire to coach Sooryavanshi down the line.
"I always call myself a Terminator. Now there is Terminator 4, Abhishek Sharma, who is four times better than me. And after him comes Terminator 6, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who has evolved even more." Yuvraj said on JioHotstar.
"I did my part in my time, Abhishek elevated it, and now Vaibhav is setting new standards. This is the third phase of the same journey. It is great to see the sport evolving," added Yuvraj, who watched the Wimbledon men''s singles final alongside Abhishek and Sooryavanshi.
"When I watch (Jannik) Sinner and (Carlos) Alcaraz, I see how tennis is changing. I see the same evolution in Abhishek and Vaibhav. I have spent a lot of time training Abhishek, and I would love to spend time with Vaibhav as well. He has a great career ahead of him. He is a serious player in the making, and I believe he will get there."
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi mentioned that his talk with Yuvraj Singh offered him important knowledge that will help him in the future.
"Yuvi Paaji is my idol too. Meeting him for the first time was a special moment. I got to spend time with him, and he shared a lot of insights about the game."
"He spoke about the mental side of the game, how to handle pressure, and the importance of believing in yourself. It feels great to have so much to learn from someone like him. I am sure it will help me a lot in my career going forward," Sooryavanshi said.
Indian opener Abhishek Sharma, who has developed under Yuvraj Singh, said he will help Sooryavanshi whenever required.
"I can feel what Vaibhav is feeling right now because Yuvi Paaji is my idol as well. I remember when I first met him, it was kind of the same feeling that he's feeling right now." Abhishek said.
(With inputs from ANI)
