Royals' new power-hitter Shubham Garhwal wants to emulate idol Yuvraj Singh

The Indian Premier League has provided plenty of players an opportunity to showcase their talent and share the dressing room with some of the best players at the international circuit whilst creating an impact. 

In the mega-auctions ahead of this edition of the extravaganza, Rajasthan Royals acquired the services of Shubham Garhwal for a base price of 20 lakhs for the upcoming season. 

One of our own from Jodhpur, Rajasthan. 💗

Welcome Shubham Garhwal. 🤗#TATAIPLAuction | #RoyalsFamily

— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) February 13, 2022

The 26-year old reminisced an evening almost a decade back when India was playing Australia in the quarter-final of the ODI World Cup. A then 15-year old Garhwal was glued to his television sets and watched Yuvraj Singh's unmatched grace and fearless hitting against the might Aussies. 

It was clear he Garhwal found a hero, and a decade later, he aims to emulate his idol wearing the Royals pink. 

In a release ahead of the tournament, he quoted, "I was really young back then, playing gully cricket in my hometown of Jodhpur and couldn't even hold the bat with the correct grip. But seeing Yuvraj Singh have a wonderful tournament in 2011 really inspired me." 

"I am also a left-hander so I used to love how he could hit the ball so effortlessly. I think that was a period which really changed my life for the good, " he further added. 

The southpaw will be a local lad after learning all the nuances of the game in Rajasthan and understands the extra responsibility of knowing the conditions well. 

"I take a lot of pride in representing the Royals. I am from Rajasthan myself, and it's the biggest moment of my life. The happiness that I've seen on my parents' faces is something that inspires me to give my all for the team." he said. 

With the likes of Kumar Sangakkara in the ranks, Garhwal is looking to make his dream turn into reality. "I am really looking forward to working with Sanga Sir as well. He's been one of the greatest left-handers in the sport, and I'm sure his advice will take my game to the next level," stated an excited Garhwal.

The think tank of the Rajasthan Royals spotted the talent in Garhwal during the trials conducted at the Royals High-Performance Centre in Nagpur.

"I felt like I was in good touch during the trials but still, with so many players up for sale in the auction, I wasn't very confident that I would get picked. When I was bought, I was over the moon and couldn't believe it," said Garhwal.

Rajasthan Royals will start their IPL 2022 campaign on March 29 against the Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune. 

(With inputs from PTI)