Mallya pleased with Yuvi for coming into his old vintage self

Sharjah: After splurging a mammoth amount to fetch his services, Royal Challengers Bangalore owner Vijay Mallya was immensely pleased with Yuvraj Singh for playing a crucial role in beating Delhi Daredevils in their IPL campaign opener.

"What particularly pleased me was Yuvraj Singh coming back to his old vintage self. His strokeplay was magnificent," Mallya said in an interview with RCB`s official website. Yuvraj, who came in for severe flak for his scratchy knock against Sri Lanka in World T20 finals, struck form with a brilliant unbeaten 52 not out. RCB paid a whopping Rs 14 crore to sign Yuvraj in the players` auction this year. Mallya also praised opener Parthiv Patel for giving a good start for the team to chase the target. "Parthiv Patel as I have always said is a gutsy player. He showed it today. He gave us a great start," he said. Patel gave a good start to RCB with a 28-ball 37 which was studded with five fours and a six. Mallya said he is proud of his team and hoped that this form continues throughout the tournament. "Great job done by the bowlers to restrict the Delhi Daredevils to 145. I think that was a commendable effort and then of course we chased it down with ease in 16.4 overs," he said.