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 didn t 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 team though , 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 England s 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 India s 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 the years 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 Twenty 20 cricket, Yuvraj entered the record books, smashing Stuart Broad for six sixes in an over, and recording the fastest 50 in any international cricket -- off just 12 balls in the inaugural T 20 WC . His stunning show in the T20 WC was a crucial factor in India s 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 down a mammoth 387 runs in the fourth innings for victory. Yuvraj s 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 named the 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 T 20 WC in Sri Lanka and has been a regular member of the T20 I 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 couldn t keep his spot . IPL : Yuvraj Singh played for Punjab for the first three years of the IPL. He then was bought by Pune 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 T 20I 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 7 th Man of the Match award in T 20Is - the most by an Indian player in T20 Is. 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 New Zealand and he went back to the domestic circuit to regain his touch. Unfortunately , he couldn t do much there and did have a fifty or 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 -winning abilities drew a lot of competition among bidders and he was eventually sold out to 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 T20 WC as he fits the shortest format perfectly
Posted on: Sun, 30 Mar 2014 04:59:55 +0000
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015