Navjot Singh Sidhu Set To Make Commentary Comeback: "Duckling Never Forgets How to Swim"

Returning to the commentary box after a decade-long hiatus for the upcoming IPL, Navjot Singh Sidhu , the charismatic former India cricketer, believes that the glitzy league will play a pivotal role in shaping not only India's but also other countries' squads for the T20 World Cup . Emerging from a lengthy spell in the relentless realm of politics, Sidhu, renowned for his unique 'Sidhuisms', is poised to grace the airwaves once more, commencing with the IPL, which precedes the T20 World Cup in June.

"The IPL will set the tone for the World Cup. There is no other cricket happening. The eyes of the world are on IPL. This is where you can snatch a berth for the T20 World Cup, not only Indians, even the foreign players," Sidhu conveyed to PTI in an interview facilitated by the IPL's official TV broadcaster 'Star Sports'.

Amid expectations that Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli , who have had limited T20 cricket exposure since the 2022 edition, will feature in the ICC spectacle in the USA and the Caribbean, Sidhu deliberated on their relevance in the T20 squad. "They will be needed there. These are giants of the cricketing world. Form is like the morning dew, it can elude you but the class of these individuals has the stamp of authority," Sidhu remarked.

"I would rate Kohli as the greatest Indian batsman for the simple reason, his fitness, he is getting fitter with age like old wine does. Technically very sound and he has the uncanny knack of adapting to all three formats, same goes for Rohit," Sidhu elaborated in his distinctive manner.

"Both are quality players. I am not sure about Rohit's fitness levels. With age you tend to slow down, your reflexes tend to go. Sehwag with those glasses, his reflexes were not the same, I saw it in the IPL." Sidhu closely monitored India's campaign in the ODI World Cup last year where they finished as runners-up after maintaining an unbeaten record in the group stages. Despite the final loss extending their title drought, Sidhu remains optimistic.

"In the recent World Cup, they were playing very well, they just had one bad game, one bad game cannot assess the fortunes of a team. I see the Indian team ruling the roost for a long time because the system that breeds cricketers is very congenial and conducive”.

"In my time, people would carry on despite bad form because there were no replacements. Now, Hardik Pandya is replacing the Indian captain as captain at Mumbai Indians because he has performed so well”.

"Not that it is derogatory to Rohit but it is just a thought process. The old order must change yielding place to the new," said Sidhu.

With several contenders vying for the wicket-keeper batter's slot in the World Cup squad including Ishan Kishan, Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson, and K L Rahul, Sidhu emphasized the importance of superior keeping skills over batting prowess.

Regarding his imminent return to commentary, Sidhu exuded enthusiasm. "Boss, cricket is my first love. If your hobby becomes your profession, there is nothing better than that. A duckling would never forget how to swim, I will take to commentary like a fish takes to water."

Asked about the role of humor during turbulent phases of life, Sidhu shared, "Secret of my life is that is I switch on and switch off. It was difficult for me to switch off from politics but then the age of miracles has not passed. The difficult is done at once, the impossible takes a little while longer.

The mental fortitude will sail me through any situation now. In cricket, I have made 20 odd comebacks, this is my first comeback to commentary. I was in the swing of things from 1999 to 2014-15 (commentary).

"A gem cannot be polished without friction nor a man perfected without trials," Sidhu expressed in his characteristic manner.

In the early years of the IPL, Sidhu brought the X factor to the commentary box, becoming a prominent figure in the entertainment world. Despite the lucrative offers, Sidhu reiterated that his pursuit was not driven by monetary gains.

"I left cricket and joined commentary and I did not know if this is something I could do. I was not very confident (initially) but 10-15 days into the World Cup, the word Sidhuism came up. I was walking in a lane no one was walking. It was the lane of Sidhuism”.

"From Rs 60-70 lakh for the whole tournament, I was taking Rs 25 lakh per day in IPL. The satisfaction was not with money, the satisfaction was that time would fly. It was beautiful."