The Big Bang Theory

The story of Yusuf Pathan in some ways is the story of Rajasthan Royals. Unknown in the big league prior to the tournament, he was one of Shane Warne's boys who took the IPL route to stardom. The India cap came his way and he was soon out of the shadow of his brother Irfan.

"It happened at the right time," Yusuf says. "I was doing well in domestic cricket and this [the IPL] came along. Big names were playing and it was a great opportunity to take that one step up."

Sitting in the foyer of the team hotel in Durban, back from swimming in the beach with the team, he says: "It's a way to get to know the other players as human beings…find out what is his interest. Shane Warne wants us to be like a family. It helps on the field, you know. When we practice, we do it intelligently and give it everything. And all the players are out of their country, away from family. So we try to hang around together. It's a like a small family we have here."

It's a trait that comes readily to Yusuf. He is extremely grounded; at least trying to stay grounded, amidst the cricketing glamour world that he finds himself in. "I am very religious. You have to be religious. Allah aapko sirf mazay karne ke liye nahi bheja yahan (God has not sent you to just have fun). You need to respect and take care of people around you. You need to take care of people around you, your neighbours, your family and friends. God is the one who gives every thing and does everything…to take out time to do something nice for people is not hard. We human beings just turn to God only in the times of difficulty. But that's not the way to go about it."

Warne knows his man well and has given Yusuf the role to mentor the Indian domestic players. "Warne told me it's my job to make them feel at home and help them. Just like how I was treated in the first year.

"That is our strongest point of our team. Warne is particular on it. If anyone is down or having some personal problem and is interested in talking, we approach it together and try to help."

According to Yusuf, Warne's philosophy revolves action off the field. It's where the work is done and the results translate on the field. The Rajasthan Royals' meetings are typically very short. "Before a game, it's just 5-10 minutes. No video analysis and stuff like that. Just dwell on positivism and get out there with a frame of mind. Even when we lost the first match last season and people wrote us off immediately, we weren't bothered. Then we won a few matches and it kept going on. We knew we could reach the semi-final stage and let's take it from there."

The training sessions are properly planned as well, says Yusuf, similar to what he does in Indian team sessions. His role is the same in both places and he has to make an immediate impact in a very short time. "Both Warne and Dhoni have given me the license to hit. It might come off some times and fail other times but they have said, 'Don't feel shy playing your shots'. I go out in the nets with the same approach. I Tell the bowlers to think as if they are bowling at the death and what are the fielding positions…I am happy the team is benefiting from my style of play and I will like to keep playing my game."

So what's the best Warne trait that Yusuf likes? "Let's say, you are in the boundary and there is a ball hit in the air towards you but it's not there quite there for you," Yusuf says. "You can play either play safe and try to prevent the four or go for the catch. Warne says go for the catch. Sometimes, we cricketers can try to be safe. He would say try to convert the half-chance. Even if you drop and it goes for a four, it's fine as long as you made a 110% effort. It's about taking risks and going for it the full way. Don't let fear and self-doubt hamper you. Forget the results.

"Take me for instance. I was confident before but after IPL it went two or three steps higher. The confidence improved everything on and off the field and after moving with big players, it was natural I guess."

And if you see him on the field, you can see the confidence. He swaggers on to the field, chewing gum and, though with a relatively lesser skill as compared to the legendary big hitters of the game, he tries to impose himself. Where did that chewing gum start? Videos of Viv Richards? The shy Yusuf laughs out aloud.

"No no...I have not even seen him bat. But I have been told. Even Laxman bhai used to say - 'You are Richards or what?!' I don't remember when I started it but I have been chewing gum for years now. Even in domestic cricket."

The gum-chewing, bat swinging marauder from Royals is no doubt, all set to reprise his first year act. And try to play for India for as long as possible.