IND vs SL 2017: Yuvraj Singh is Like a Role Model for Me – Deepak Hooda –

A day after earning his maiden India call-up, Deepak Hooda said he had learned a lot from the veteran batsman and his Sunrisers teammate, Yuvraj Singh.

Hooda is one of the several new faces who got included in the T20 squad for the upcoming series against Sri Lanka, and the Baroda star is looking forward to applying the tips he got from Yuvraj in the coming days.

“Look, you get a lot to learn from Yuvi Paa (Yuvraj Singh). All the way, he used to tell me how (how to play), how to bat at different situations, he always spoke about my strengths, told me about my weaknesses, how to react to a bowler, how to take the team ahead,” Hooda was quoted as saying by The Times of India.

IND vs SL 2017: Yuvraj Singh is Like a Role Model for Me - Deepak Hooda 2

Hooda shared the SRH dressing room with Yuvraj in last two seasons of IPL

“Yuvi Paa is like a role model for me. And in the two years, I have learned a lot from him and will apply them,” he added.

Hooda has been on the rise since gaining prominence after the Under-19 World Cup in 2014 and some eye-catching cameos for Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2015.

The highly-rated player was bought for a whopping amount of INR 4.2 crore by Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL 2016 auction, and he played an integral role in the franchise’s journey to its maiden IPL title.

IND vs SL 2017: Yuvraj Singh is Like a Role Model for Me - Deepak Hooda 3 — Hooda was named Baroda captain this season (Credits: PTI)

It was followed by a strong showing in the Ranji Trophy where he scored 789 runs in 13 innings including the unbeaten knock of 293. In the ongoing season, he was named Baroda’s skipper after the selectors left out the experienced Irfan Pathan, and he has managed to lead the team from the front. So far, he has scored 277 runs in four games with the help of a century and a couple of half-centuries.

The 22-year further called the maiden call-up a dream come true moment for his family before stating he was looking forward to learning ‘maximum things’ from the India stars.

“My feeling (at the moment) is very good. It is a dream comes true for my family. I am feeling good,” he said.

“I will try and learn maximum things (after being with the team). I will observe how Dhoni bhai (MS Dhoni), Rohit bhai (Rohit Sharma), and all other players react (to situations), and that will be a learning,” he added.

He also said being an all-rounder will benefit him, oozing confidence with the way he is playing at the moment.

“Yes, I being an all-rounder will obviously benefit me. I am an all-rounder and presently doing both the things (batting and bowling) good. I am feeling confident about my batting and bowling. I will give my 110 percent,” he said.