"It's never happened that he hasn't answered their phone" - Ramandeep Singh heaps massive praise on India legend amid IPL 2025

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) all-rounder Ramandeep Singh hailed former Indian World Cup winner Yuvraj Singh for always helping him throughout his career. The 27-year-old has slowly become a household name after helping KKR win their third IPL title last year.

Ramandeep made his IPL debut for the Mumbai Indians (MI) in 2022 but played only five games for them in the 2022 and 2023 seasons. However, KKR used him as their finisher and the all-rounder did not disappoint, scoring 125 runs in 15 outings at a strike rate of 201.61 last year.

His strong showing earned him a spot in the Indian T20I side for the tour of South Africa at the end of last year.

Yuvraj, who hails from Punjab - the same state Ramandeep plays for in domestic cricket, played a massive role for India in the 2007 T20 and 2011 ODI World Cup triumphs. He was the Player of the Tournament in the latter - the last time India won a 50-over World Cup.

Talking about Yuvraj's importance in his career Raj Shamani's podcast, Ramandeep said:

"That guy has a huge heart. He is a bigger character than he was as a cricketer. He goes out of the way; that's his nature. He has helped Shubman, Abhishek, Anmolpreet Singh, Prabhsimran… When it comes to batting, they all take their problems to Yuvraj Singh. It's never happened that he hasn't answered their phone. Everyone. And a person like him who is busy the whole year, he still managed to take time out."

He continued

"I keep on having conversations with Yuvi paaji. He's from Punjab, and I am lucky that he has seen me batting. When the Covid restrictions were initially lifted, we used to practice at the PCA Stadium. Yuvi paaji used to come there too."

"One of the days, he missed his practice session for me and arranged the center wicket. He stood in the sun the entire afternoon at the umpire's position and record my batting videos. He took my number and shared those videos with me and was giving me advice – what needs to improve, what I was doing well and what I wasn't," Ramandeep added.

Yuvraj Singh last played for India in 2017 and his final IPL outing came for MI in the 2019 season.

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"I really want to smash six sixes in an over" - Ramandeep Singh

Ramandeep Singh further expressed his aspirations of hitting six maximums in an over similar to Yuvraj Singh. The former left-hander famously smashed six maximums of England's Stuart Broad in the 2007 T20 World Cup clash in Durban.

Yuvraj achieved the then-fastest T20I half-century in that contest, reaching the milestone off just 12 deliveries. Meanwhile, Ramandeep has come close to pulling off the six maximums in an over feat, falling short in the final ball twice in the Sher-e-Punjab tournament.

"I really want to smash six sixes in an over. Not because I have to break Yuvraj’s record or anything like that. What he's done is remarkable. I don't know what happens on the sixth ball. I am missing something. He [Yuvraj] knows that it's written. It will happen if and when it has to," Ramandeep said.

Ramandeep played the KKR in their 2025 IPL opener against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). However, he scored only six off nine deliveries as KKR suffered a massive seven-wicket defeat.