The 22-year-old who was picked up by Delhi Waveriders franchise for USD 18,500 -- a sum exactly double his base price wishes to buy a new home for his parents from the earnings in the HIL.
"My life started in darkness and has moved to light now," Yuvraj, who grew up in a shanty in Marine Lines area of Mumbai, said.
"I hope to try and give a new life to our parents with the money that we are earning. It is their comfort that has become an absolute priority for us. We plan to buy a house in Mumbai that is big enough for all of us," he said.
It was sheer love for the game that Valmiki started playing the sport and had never dreamt of fulfilling his family needs through the sport.
"When I started playing hockey, I never dreamt that I would benefit monetarily from it. But HIL has indeed uplifted the sport in this country. We are happy that HIL has come about now and this has truly changed our lives," the young Indian forward said.
Anup, Yuvraj's brother, is also playing in the HIL for Dabur Mumbai Magicians.
The India international seems satisfied with his performance in the tournament so far and is delighted with crowd's response to the five-franchise based league.
"If HIL receives that same amount of support and success for the next 3-4 editions, then this league has the potential to be on par with the IPL (Indian Premier League cricket)," he concluded.
