Yuvraj Singh urges Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill to turn attention to golf for Asia Cup glory

There are ways to get better at things you do for fun or as a profession, and with cricket, different things work for people. While some hit the nets, grind in the outfield or bat more to get back in rhythm, others find solace and peace in playing different sports to regain form; Yuvraj Singh perhaps belongs to that category. Admitting to having missed out on an opportunity that could have enhanced his cricket career, Yuvraj suggests that the Indian Team's young guns, Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill, must avoid making the same mistake that he made during his playing days.

With both gearing up for the continental tournament (Asia Cup 2025) in the UAE, starting September 9, Yuvraj urges them to find time to play golf, which he explained is a stress-buster and improves hitting abilities.

Yuvraj, known for his flamboyant style and free-flow game, admitted missing out on playing golf back in the day, which could have helped him add at least 3000 more runs to his international tally, something he wants Gill and Sharma to learn from and take advantage of.

"I have told them to play golf, and I encourage them to play. It's very hard to find time, but I think the IPL is a good time for them to actually find time and hit some balls," Yuvraj said at an event. "It's up to them. Now they are superstars of the game, and they have to decide what's going to help them be better. If golf can be something, then they have to decide that. But I encourage all athletes to play golf. I think it's a great way to unwind, and it's great for the mind."

When asked about how golf will benefit them, Yuvraj said, "I feel that any sport that helps you relax is going to be less taxing on the body and more fruitful for the mind. If you see the culture of golf in Australia, South Africa, and England, the majority of the best cricketers have played golf from a very young age.”

"You see a lot of these guys actually play a lot of golf and do less cricket practice during tours. You can't change something in a game in three days.

"But how can you recover and be mentally fresh for a game? So I just feel it's not just cricket. For any sportsperson in the world, they should play golf because eventually it will bring out the best in them in their sport,” he continued.

Gill and Abhishek at Asia Cup 2025

The pair is likely to open in this eight-team tournament, with India set to face the venue hosts (the UAE) in their opener (on September 10). India will next face Pakistan in the marquee clash next Sunday (Sep 14) before facing Oman in their last league game (Sep 19).

Reflecting on what golf would have done to his cricket career, Yuvraj noted,

"I would have scored 3,000 more runs. I tell all the young cricketers to try and play golf, hit the ball, see how you feel. Because sometimes too much practice is also not good for you. Sometimes when you're not scoring runs, you want to practice more, and with golf as well, you want to hit more balls. But sometimes it's good to relax," he said.