‘After 20 years, I still have to be careful’: Yuvraj Singh talks about the presence of senior statesmen in Indian dressing room

Former India cricketer Yuvraj Singh made his debut in 2000 during the ICC Champions Trophy but admitted that he was intimidated the senior members of the squad which included the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble, and Sourav Ganguly.
“After 20 years, I still have to be careful about what I say in front of him (Kumble). I think it was a bit of a shock, to be honest. There’s Anil Kumble, Rahul Dravid, Tendulkar, and the likes of Ganguly (in the dressing room),” said Yuvraj while speaking at the launch of South Africa’s new franchise league SA20 along with former teammate Anil Kumble.
Reflecting back on his initial days, Yuvraj admitted that he did feel odd at times. “The coach used to say they’re your teammates so you have to sit next to them. So, it took a while to start talking to them. But what the IPL has done is that the youngsters are now more comfortable around the players.”
However, the southpaw credited the current franchise leagues like the Indian Premier League  (IPL) for changing the culture and said, “There are all these guys you’re watching on television as a kid and straightaway, you were in the dressing room with them,” he said.
“You had to ask the coach to not be seated next to them. The coach used to say they’re your teammates so you have to sit next to them. So, it took a while to start talking to them. But what the IPL has done is that the youngsters are now more comfortable around the players,” he added.