Calcutta: He’s only 24, but with over five years of international experience, Yuvraj Singh isn’t the Young Turk he was, say, in the summer of 2002 when the NatWest was won in electrifying manner.

Today, Yuvraj is more mature and doesn’t make headlines for dating either Shilpa Shetty or Kim Sharma. He’s off Page 3 and often parks himself on Page 1.

Yuvraj has arrived in the most complete sense and while most expect Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Irfan Pathan to lead Team India’s charge in the 2007 World Cup, our challenge may actually centre around this darling of Chandigarh.

Speak to Yuvraj about the future, though, and you’re bound to hear ? “I live in the present? Try and enjoy the present?” ? something he told The Telegraph after the Karachi Test where he scripted a handsome 122.

Yet, even if Yuvraj isn’t planning for what’s beyond this season, the proverbial pieces are falling into place perfectly.

That captain Rahul Dravid regards him as a “special player” is significant. In fact, very much so.

For, till not too long ago, Yuvraj was seen as a Sourav Ganguly campwallah and few would have missed his endorsement of the former captain when he was out of the game (last summer) owing to the ICC-slapped ban.

Yuvraj, of course, steered clear ? unlike Harbhajan Singh ? when the Sourav-Greg Chappell row broke out in September. It was, perhaps, one way of conveying that his focus was wholly on cricket.

Raising the bar effortlessly, Yuvraj has been outstanding. Not just with the bat, but effecting run-outs or bringing off spectacular catches as well.

Yuvraj’s place in the one-day XI was never questioned (except for a brief period in 2001-02) and, in recent weeks, he has done enough to retain a Test berth, too.

Former England captain Nasser Hussain, a most shrewd ‘reader’ of the game, went on record after Saturday’s Rawalpindi ODI to say that “being a regular in both forms” had been beneficial for Yuvraj.

Yograj Singh’s son is himself bound to agree.