4 min learnUp to date: Feb 18, 2026 11:47 AM IST
When Baljeet Samra, an Indian immigrant in Toronto, turned the daddy of a boy, he named him after his favorite cricketer Yuvraj Singh, the star of India’s 2011 World Cup win. Over 20 years in the past Baljeet had migrated from Samra village close to the India-Pakistan border in Punjab. Yuvraj Singh’s heroics within the ICC Knockout Trophy in Kenya had left a significant impression on Baljeet earlier than he left Indian shores in 2002.
4 years later, Samra can be blessed with a son — Yuvraj Singh Samra.
On Tuesday, 19-year-old Yuvraj turned the youngest to attain 100 in an ICC World Cup — T20 or 50-overs — with 110 runs in opposition to New Zealand in Chennai.
Yuvraj Singh Samra with dad and mom Baljeet Samra and Hoshiar Kaur and sister Sandeep Samra. (Picture by way of particular association)
“I used to be a giant fan of Yuvraj Singh’s batting. So after I and my spouse Hoshiar Kaur had been blessed with a son, we named him after Yuvraj Singh. To see our Yuvraj hit a T20 World Cup hundred and to turn out to be the youngest batter to take action is a particular feeling. I’m certain Yuvraj Singh too can be proud that his namesake has created historical past within the T20 World Cup. To play in a World Cup has been Yuvraj’s dream,” Baljeet instructed The Indian Specific from Toronto.
Whereas Baljeet did varied odd jobs in his early years in Canada, he would additionally play cricket for native golf equipment. His son too went to a few of these membership matches.
A mom’s sacrifice
A younger Yuvraj Singh Samra along with his dad and mom Baljeet Samra and Hoshiar Samra (Picture by way of particular association)
The Samras would enrol Yuvraj on the Australasia Cricket Academy on the age of eight. With Yuvraj’s curiosity rising in cricket, his mom would surrender her job at a automotive firm to accompany Yuvraj to teaching courses. “These had been powerful occasions as teaching periods right here can price upto 100 {dollars} per hour. However we managed and we knew that Yuvraj’s arduous work is not going to go to waste,” Baljeet mentioned. In the course of the winter months in Canada, Yuvraj would journey to India to coach.
Yuvraj, who was educated initially by Amarinder Bhinder, a Cricket South Africa Degree 3 coach dwelling in Toronto, would break into the district Underneath-16 and Underneath-19 groups on the age of 12 and 13 respectively. He made his Canadian senior group debut within the ICC World Cup League 2 qualifiers in opposition to New Zealand final yr.
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“In winters, we’d additionally journey to Chandigarh as nicely Amritsar to coach below coaches Sandeep Sawal and Gagandeep Singh aside from coaching in England. He simply wished to play and follow wherever he might and be it winters or summers, he didn’t need something to create any hindrance for him,” Baljeet mentioned.
Sandeep Kharat coached Yuvraj on the Australasia Cricket Academy the place he was enrolled on the age of eight. (Picture by way of particular association)
Sandeep Kharat, the coach on the Australasia Cricket Academy, remembers the regular rise of Yuvraj.
“Proper from when he got here to coach below us, his willpower was one thing to be admired. He wished to be an opener and whereas his focus was on staying on the crease and accumulating runs like in ODI cricket, he developed right into a batsman with energy hitting talents. Think about a 12-13 yr outdated child enjoying for U16 as nicely U19 groups and tearing aside the bowling assaults in membership cricket as nicely all junior age teams in Canada. His lofted pictures, cowl drives are one thing which Yuvraj has displayed proper from junior days. Immediately’s knock was his finest,” Kharat mentioned.
Within the 2011 World Cup, Yuvraj Singh had performed a knock of 113 in opposition to West Indies at Chepauk. Fifteen years later, his namesake thrilled the Chepauk crowd.
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“Yuvraj met Yuvraj Singh within the international T20 League in 2019 as nicely the Tremendous 60. To see Yuvraj hit 100 on the similar floor the place Yuvraj additionally hit an ODI hundred is one thing particular,” Baljeet mentioned.
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