New Delhi: On 7 October 2000, up against a fearsome Australian side in the quarter-finals of the ICC Knockout Trophy, India had its back to the wall at 90/3. Out came an 18-year-old playing his first innings (in his second match). He went on to score a match-winning 84 against a bowling side that included Jason Gillespie, Glenn McGrath and Brett Lee.
Yuvraj Singh, arguably the most sensational southpaw of the white ball in his generation, never looked back.
On Monday, Yuvraj hung up his boots after a remarkable career that included many ups and downs, a battle with cancer and ‘player of the series’ awards in two World Cups.
As Yuvraj sets out to chart a new path in his life, ThePrint looks at some of the most special moments in his cricketing career that spanned 19 years, 402 matches (across formats), 11,778 runs, 148 wickets, and, of course, two World Cup triumphs.
Sealing spot in ODI team
(India vs England, London, NatWest ODI final, 2002)
Chasing a massive, unlikely target of 326 at Lord’s in the finals of the NatWest ODI series, the visiting Indian side was reduced to 146-5 after an initial counter-attack by captain Sourav Ganguly and Virender Sehwag.
As India tottered, two young, inexperienced batsmen got the chance to put up a show of a lifetime. While Mohammad Kaif played a careful knock, Yuvraj played the aggressor, with a fine display of his trademark clean hitting. The 121-run partnership between the two took India to, perhaps, its most famous ODI win.
Yuvraj slammed nine fours and one six to score 69 runs off 63 balls before getting caught by Alex Tudor at short fine leg. With that, he sealed his spot in a middle order that was studded with stars.
First century
(India vs Australia, Sydney, VB Series, 2004)
In 2004, playing in the backyard of what remains ODI cricket’s most feared side, Yuvraj scored a blistering 139.
Batting first in the seventh match of the tri-series in Sydney, India was languishing at 80-3. Yuvraj walked out to the middle and, with Laxman by his side, made what remained his highest score till a decade later.
Laxman also scored a century but Yuvraj hogged the spotlight, even slamming Ian Harvey for 22 runs in the 49th over to take the score to 296. Alas, India lost the rain-interrupted match by two wickets on the penultimate ball of the match.
Also read: Yuvraj Singh retires from international cricket, says game has given him everything
Six, Six, Six, Six, Six, Six
(India vs England, Durban, ICC World Twenty20, 2007)
This was Yuvraj’s tour de force moment.
In a crucial encounter during the Super 8 stage of the inaugural T20 World Cup, India faced off with England in Durban. Batting first, India were well placed at 159-3 after 17 overs.
But then, unfortunately for Stuart Broad, Andrew Flintoff got into a heated confrontation with Yuvraj, reminding him of the over he bowled against the English and gave away 32 runs.
When Broad came in to bowl the next over, Yuvraj pummeled all six balls over the fence to every corner of the park. This was the first instance of six sixes being hit in a single over in a T20 match. Yuvraj reached his 50 off a mere 12 balls — the fastest 50 in international T20Is till date — and finished with 58 off 16 balls, including seven sixes and three fours.
Yuvraj went on to be named ‘Man of the Series’.
On course to first World Cup win
(India vs Australia, Durban, ICC World Twenty20, 2007)
Yuvraj wasn’t satisfied with six 6s. In the semifinals of the tournament, he went on to smash the Aussies in a thrilling display of power and timing.
Against a packed Australian line-up, India was struggling at 41-2 in the 8th over. But Yuvraj walked in as if he was still playing Broad. In just 20 balls, he scored another half-century and by the time he was done, he had taken the game away from the Aussies.
Punishing all the bowlers — including a spectacular flick off Brett Lee for a six — Yuvraj scored 70 off 30 balls. India won the match by 15 runs.
Player of the series, again
(ICC Cricket World Cup, India & Bangladesh, 2011)
For most Indians, the memory of M.S. Dhoni’s six over long on to win the country its second World Cup remains deeply etched. But in that win, Yuvraj put up his hand every time the team needed him — and he did all of it while battling cancer, something he came to know months later.
When India needed him to keep the Windies at bay in Chennai, Yuvraj scored 113 off 123 balls, and took two wickets — despite being unwell and vomiting in the middle of the match.
In the quarterfinal against the Australians, India’s arch-nemesis at the World Cup, when the chase started to falter, Yuvraj scored his fourth 50 of the tournament.
Nine matches, 362 runs, a century, four half-centuries and 15 wickets — that’s what Yuvraj’s World Cup looked like in 2011.
(Oh, and he also created history by becoming the first player to score a half-century and take a five-wicket haul in a World Cup match — against Ireland.)
The mighty return, yet again
(India vs England, Cuttack, England Tour of India, 2017)
After battling cancer and conquering it, Yuvraj made his way in and out of the Indian cricket team many times.
But perhaps his last most memorable knock came in Cuttack, as India were left reeling at 25/3 against the visiting English side. The southpaw added 256 runs with Dhoni, in the process registering his personal highest ODI score of 150 off 127 balls, with 21 fours and 3 sixes.
India put up a staggering 381/6, but won the match by just 15 runs.
A Test innings to remember
(India vs England, Chennai, England tour of India, 11-15 December 2008)
Yuvraj’s Test career didn’t ever really take flight but one of his memorable innings came in a 163-run partnership with Sachin Tendulkar in the Chennai Test against England in 2008 as the team set out to chase a massive 387 in the fourth innings.
Happening just in the aftermath of the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai, the match gained more importance than it would have had in normal course.
While Tendulkar’s unbeaten 103 set up the famous win, Yuvraj’s 85 gave the support that he so often did, in a manner that was more soothing to the eye than anything else.