Amongst the cleanest hitters of a cricket ball, when Yuvraj Singh first started making waves in junior and Under-19 cricket, everyone believed that a future Indian batting star had arrived. His debut, when he was not yet 19, confirmed that in spectacular fashion, as he smashed an Australian attack comprising of Glenn McGrath, Jason Gillespie and Brett Lee to make 84 runs at better than a run-a-ball in the 2000 edition of the Champions Trophy.However, the wheels fell off soon after, as Yuvraj had to face accusations of a lack of commitment and focus. There were also whispers about his ability to play spin bowling. He didnt display his earlier form too, and had to endure a spell away from the team after being dropped.He made his way back to the teamthough, and showed greater commitment and focus. His transition from fringe player to established member was complete when he shared a match-winning partnership with Mohammad Kaif as India chased down Englands imposing total of 325 in the finals of the 2002 Natwest Series at Lords.His electric fielding was an added asset in a team that had always been lethargic in the field. The added assurance of being in the thick of things in ODIs and knocking on the doors of Test cricket, saw Yuvraj bloom.He stroked a courageous 112 when given the opportunity in Test matches in just his third match on a difficult pitch at Lahore against Pakistan. With Indias middle-order being packed, Yuvraj had to bide his time for a regular run in Test matches, but he gradually built his reputation in the One Day arena.The year 2005 is when he started to pull his weight seriously in the limited-overs team, and started assuming the mantle of the fulcrum of the middle order. In theyears 2005-06, he established himself as one of the best ODI players in the World, let alone the country, and along with MS Dhoni,became one of the best finishers in the game.With the advent of Twenty20 cricket, Yuvraj entered the record books, smashing Stuart Broad for six sixes in an over, and recordingthe fastest 50 in any international cricket -- off just 12 balls in the inaugural T20 WC. His stunning show in the T20 WC was a crucial factor in Indias successful campaign in the tournament.Despite being a giant in the shorter formats, Yuvraj found it difficult to seal a spot in Test cricket. He gained a more permanent place in the Test side with the retirement of Sourav Ganguly, and played a mature supporting role in an emotionally charged Test match against England. The match was played just after the 26/11 terrorist attacks in Mumbai, and Yuvraj combined with Sachin Tendulkar to forge a match-winning partnership as India chased downa mammoth 387 runs in the fourthinnings for victory.Yuvrajs biggest moment - in cricket and probably his life - came in the year 2011 when his huge contributions with ball and bat helped India win the World Cup after 28 years. He was namedthe Man of the Tournament for scoring 362 runs and picking up 15 wickets. However, there was a harsh twist in his life soon after; he was diagnosed with cancer and he fought hard to win the health battle after almost a year and successfully overcame the disease getting quality treatment in USA.He came back in national colours - a comeback which inspired many cancer patient - just ahead of the 2012 T20 WC in Sri Lanka and has been a regular member ofthe T20I and ODI sides since then.He was also picked for the Tests against England but as has been the case in his Test career, he couldnt keep his spot.IPL: Yuvraj Singh played for Kings XI Punjab for the first three years of the IPL. He then was bought by Pune Warriors in 2011.After being dropped from the squad for being unfit and constant failures, Yuvraj spent six weeks in central France with a private trainer and was raring to go. His hard-work paid off as he was selected for the one off T20I against Australia in October 2013.Yuvraj returned to the international scene all guns blazing as he smashed an unbeaten 77 off just 35 balls to lead India to a six-wicket victory over the opposition. He received his 7th Man of the Match award inT20Is - the most by an Indian player in T20Is.Alas, the same cannot be said about his return to the one-day side. Yuvraj failed to make any significant contributions against Australia and West Indies in October/November 2013. Despite his poor run in the last few games,Yuvraj was retained in the ODI squad for the South Africa tour in December 2013.However, Yuvraj was dropped from the squad for the tour of NewZealand and he went back to the domestic circuit to regain his touch. Unfortunately, he couldnt do much there and did have a fiftyor a hundred to his credit in the five games that he featured in the Ranji Trophy. But as 2014 began, Yuvraj slowly started to get into the grove and got a few scores in first-class games.With his former side Pune not being a part of the 2014 IPL, Yuvraj Singh went into the Auctions pool. His match-winningabilities drew a lot of competition among bidders and he was eventually sold out to Royal Challengers Bangalore for a staggering 14 crore, the highest bid for a player in 2014. The national selectors also named him in the squad for the 2014 T20WC as he fits the shortest format perfectly.
Posted on: Sat, 03 Jan 2015 15:25:26 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015