Yuvraj Singh!! He is my favorite batsmen and has always helped India win matches from almost impossible situations, be it by contributing with his batting, bowling or fielding.
Lets look back at some of the most memorable moments of his life:-
1) 58 vs England (Durban, 2007 World T20) – Yes it was this match which sends shivers down the spine of Stuart Broad (I hope you get the drift). After the six balls of the Stuart Broad over, the giant screen displayed 6,6,6,6,6,6.One word to define that innings was BLISTERING!!!
2) 69 vs England (NatWest final, Lord’s Cricket Ground, 2002) – India needed 326 to win the NatWest trophy. With all the legends of Indian cricket back in the pavilion, the score was 146/5. Then the onus was on Yuvraj and Kaif to ensure that India crosses the finishing line and chase down the mammoth target of 326 runs. Yuvraj had an amazing partnership with Kaif which lead to India’s unimaginable victory.
3) Man of the series in 2011 World Cup – Yuvraj played a very instrumental role in India’s winning the 2011 world cup. He scored 362 runs (1 century and 4 half centuries) and took 15 wickets, not to mention the brilliant fielding effort with a couple of catches and run outs.
4) 84 vs Australia (ICC Knockout Trophy, Nairobi, 2000) – In the early 2000s, Australia dominated the cricketing world.18 years old Yuvraj was playing his debut tournament. He stood out and single handedly posted a competitive total against the mighty Australians. India won that match and reached the finals where they unfortunately lost to NZ.
5) Return from Cancer -This is not a cricketing innings but it shows the character of this person. When ordinary people come to know that they are suffering from cancer, they just accept it. But Yuvraj had different ideas. He fought cancer and upon complete recovery he made his way back to the Indian Team. Very soon he scored a cracking 72 runs off 36 balls vs Pakistan in Ahmedabad,2012.
Thinking about all such events brings a faint smile of pleasure on my face. After today’s innings vs Sri Lanka in the World T20 Championship finals, I read a news online that a group of people has pelted stones at Yuvraj’s house in Chandigarh. Police immediately swung into action and cordoned his house and tried to pacify the crowd. I must appeal to everyone that this is just a game and no player would purposely not play well to lose a match. He tried his best but unfortunately it was not his day. I know people are finding it difficult to digest that this kind of performance is coming from someone who had helped India win the 2011 world cup but still, its just a game.
For me Yuvraj is still a superstar and I thank him for all the wonderful memories!!