Yuvraj Singh has Shani Dev to thank for top form

Did Lord Shani Dev ward off Yuvraj Singh’s bad form, and help him become India’s hero on Sunday? Seems like the god of Saturn had a role in Sunday’s match.

Even the cricketer acknowledged this, during the post-matc

h presentation ceremony, when he received the man-of-the-match award. He thanked God for his performance.

On the eve of the India-Ireland World Cup match, Yuvraj quietly slipped off from his hotel room in the evening to visit a Shaneshwara Temple in Wilson Garden to seekSaturn’s blessings.

The cricketer, known more for his flamboyance on the field and partying antics, surprised devotees at the temple, as he paid obeisance to Lord Shani.

Clad in a red T-shirt and blue denims, Yuvraj visited the temple with a local friend and spent about 15 minutes there. He performed a few special pujas to ward off evil, said Ramachandra, the temple priest.

To appease the lord, he also lit a sesame oil lamp. Lighting a lamp on Saturday to Shani Dev is considered especially auspicious.

Before leaving, Yuvraj is also said to have promised to visit the temple whenever he is the Garden City.

After Sunday’s all-round performance, it is highly unlikely the cricketer would not honour
this promise as he was India’s only star performer.

By taking five wickets and scoring 50 runs, he became the first cricketer to achieve this feat in any world cup match.

Prior to Sunday’s match against Ireland, the left-hander was on a low due to loss of form and fitness. He had also temporarily lost his place in the Indian team.

It may be recalled that off-spinner Harbhajan Singh had also visited a Shaneshwara temple at Thyagrajangar to pray for the Indian team’s victory before the World Cup.

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