Yuvraj played with 'blessed' bats

It turns out that Yuvraj Singh had played the World Cup matches with bats blessed by his guru in Punjab and the star cricketer will not forget to pay obeisance to the man, Sant Ajit Singh Hansaliwala, after his spectacular performance that got him the Player of the Tournament award.

Yuvraj, who won the accolade after India defeated Sri Lanka on Saturday, will visit Sant Ajit Singh, head of the Nirmal dera, who is based in Hansali village in Fatehgarh Sahib district.

"We have full belief in the principles of guruji and Yuvraj also follows him very religiously. Yuvraj's spectacular performance in the World Cup is the result of guruji's blessings and I am sure my son will continue his good show in the upcoming season of IPL (Indian Premier League)," Yuvraj's mother Shabnam Singh told IANS.

Shabnam had gone to Fatehgarh Sahib to pay obeisance before Sant Ajit Singh Sunday evening, a day after India won the match.

"We will go again to the guruji's dera to pay obeisance once Yuvraj comes to Chandigarh," she said.

She had earlier gone to the guru with four bats, and it was these that Yuvraj used right from the India-Australia quarterfinal onwards, Shabnam said. All the bats were blessed by the guru, she said.

A source said Yuvraj himself had gone to meet his guru March 29, one day before the crucial India-Pakistan semifinal in neighbouring Mohali town.

The family is now elated. Yuvraj too had mentioned the name of his guru at the post-match presentation after India won the final against Sri Lanka on Saturday.

Talking about Yuvraj's plans of marriage, Shabnam said, "He will certainly marry once he finds the right girl."

Villagers of Hansali village are also very excited that the star cricketer will be coming.

"Earlier Yuvraj's mother had come here with four bats to pray. Yuvraj had also come. We are very happy that our village has come into limelight because of this," a villager said on phone.

Some villagers claimed that off-spinner Harbhajan Singh was also an ardent follower of the same guru and his mother Avtar Kaur had visited the dera on Friday, one day before the final match.