“That’s huge; that is a biggie; that is out of here,” called Ravi Shastri from the commentary box as Yuvraj Singh dispatched Stuart Broad for a six of the first ball of the over. Did anyone know that they were going to witness history on the evening of 19th September 2007? Did the spectators at the Kingsmead cricket ground in Durban know that they were going to see a cricketing miracle on that day? Stuart Broad might still be getting the chills thinking about the otherwise pleasant evening before Yuvraj Singh decided to hammer him for 6 sixes in a single over. And that was the day when Yuvraj Singh became the Sixer King! The fans went berserk with the entire Indian team on their feet applauding. Yuvraj Singh once again reaffirmed his reputation of being able to consistently send the cricket ball out of the park at will. This article is a small retirement tribute to one of the biggest stars of the World Cricket, Yuvraj Singh. Yuvraj Singh retired from International cricket on June 10, 2019.
Achiever Full of Spirit and Swagger
Yuvraj Singh was confident, fearless and flamboyant from the very beginning. He was aggressive in the field and believed in giving it back to the opposition. He wanted to not just play but to win and to not just win but to win with swag at the international level. That’s what the cricket fans wanted to see and that’s what made them fall in love with him.
He played the game with a different kind of intent that was new for the Indian cricket fans. Yuvi along with Mohammed Kaif was setting new standards on the field, which were not only exciting to watch but also an inspiration to young cricketers. Backed by the then captain Sourav Ganguly, Yuvi played with spirit and swagger and in no time made the international stage his own.
Yuvraj was known as a big hitter from his early days. Even when he practiced at his home ground at Mohali, he used to be dreaded by bowlers, for his effortless ability to clear the boundary ropes.
In the years to follow, not only would Yuvraj prove himself as a big hitter on the world stage but also establish himself an ace all-rounder who could single-handedly win you a match on his day.
Under-19 World Cup in 2000
On the international level, it was the 2000 Under-19 World Cup where Yuvraj’s talent was noticed for the first time. As one of the chief architects of India’s World Cup win, he earned the player of the tournament award for his all-round performance and helping India lift the junior trophy.
Yuvi’s stellar performance at the U19 world cup earned him a call-up to the national squad soon after, along with the likes of all-rounder Reetinder Singh Sodhi and Mohammad Kaif who had captained the world cup winning team.
International Debut in Champions Trophy 2000
Yuvi was winning hearts and started acquiring a fan following right from his first international match. He made his ODI debut against the formidable Australians in the Champions Trophy in 2000. The stakes were high, and the opposition had the world’s best bowling attack, in the form of Glenn McGrath, Brett Lee, and Jason Gillespie. But little did that matter to Yuvi. He hit a swashbuckling 84 of 80 balls, helping India beat the mighty Australians by 20 runs in the quarterfinal. It was clear that he was a big match player who was ready to play with the big boys of the world cricket.
International cricket saw a star being born. When you hit the world’s number one bowling unit with the ease that he did, you are bound to leave a mark. And a big mark did he leave! He impressed everyone not only by his batting performance but also his fielding that earned him the man of the match award in the very first match he batted. Actually, he debuted against Kenya, but in that match, he did not get to bat.
Sachin out? No Problem!
When Yuvi joined the team, the team was still heavily reliant on Sachin Tendulkar. Sachin’s dismissal meant that the fans would switch off their television sets and go off to sleep. With his batting prowess and never say die attitude, Yuvraj started emerging as a match-winner who the team and the fans could rely on.
Yuvi represented the new Indian cricketer who won’t buckle under pressure, was ready to take on any opposition fearlessly and go down fighting. With Yuvraj in the middle, fans could hope for the impossible. In the years to come Yuvi would help architect some of India’s greatest victories in ODI cricket.
One of the greatest of those victories came in the NatWest Series final against England at Lords in 2002. Chasing a massive 325 set by England, India had lost Sachin and was struggling at 146/5, when Yuvraj and Kaif got together at the crease. Most fans had already given up hope of a victory and were only praying for a miracle. But it was a resilient 121 run partnership between the duos, which brought the team back in the game. India ended up winning by two wickets in what is seen by some cricket pundits as a major turning point in Indian cricket. Fans realized that now India would still have hope even if Sachin gets out early.
Strides continued
Yuvi kept making giant strides in the shorter version of the game with his big shots, his agile fielding in the point region and his uncanny knack of breaking partnerships. He was doing so well at the shorter version of the game but somehow wasn’t able to make the same impact on the longer version of the game. If there’s one thing his fans could have asked for, it was for him to have played more of test cricket.
But that didn’t deter him from scaling greater heights in the shorter version of the same. Yuvraj was to become an integral part of the Indian team and was at his peak during the 2011 world cup where he played a pivotal role in helping India lift trophy. As the player of the tournament, Yuvraj scored 362 runs and took 15 wickets and thereby ended up being the first all-rounder ever to score 300-plus runs and take 15 wickets in a single World Cup.
Yuvraj Singh Stats
[table id=60 /]
[table id=61 /]
As you can see, the overall batting average of Yuvraj is not that high. But we need to understand why it is so.
Yuvraj, initially, was not as consistent with his batting, Sure he did score a match-winning knock here and there, but mostly he would struggle with the bat. But everyone knew, he had that spark and he would always compensate his not-so-good day with the bat with terrific fielding and effective bowling. His electric fielding was way above the normal fielding standards of Team India in those days. His presence itself would inspire other players to jump, dive and fly to save runs and take catches. Also, his smart bowling and wicket-taking abilities would sometimes be the turning point of the match.
Fortunately, Yuvraj Singh later paid off many times more for all the chances given to him in his initial days. His batting came in full and consistent flow from 2005. No wonder, he became the irreplaceable gem of the Indian cricket team and went on to shine bright in many important tournaments afterward.
Dealing with the opponent off the field
The high of the professional success at the world cup was short-lived though. He encountered a personal low as he was diagnosed with a cancerous stage-1 tumor in 2011. Soon after he traveled to the US for treatment, fought with the disease and came out on top like a champion.
It was a turbulent time for Yuvraj, the details of which he shares in his book “The Test of My Life: From Cricket to Cancer and Back”. His fight against cancer inspired him to start his own charity “YouWeCan” that has treated hundreds of cancer patients ever since its inception.
Yuvi made a comeback to international cricket and started playing for India as well as the IPL soon after his recovery. Not surprisingly he continued to do what he did best – entertain the fans and leave a mark on the game. It was in the year 2012 that Yuvraj was conferred, India’s second-highest sporting award, the Arjuna Award for his contribution to the field of sport. He also received India’s fourth highest civilian honor, the Padma Shri in 2014.
We will miss you Yuvi!
If you look back at Yuvi’s career, he would be fondly remembered for inspiring an entire generation of cricketers and fans with his never say die attitude. He would be fondly remembered for his contribution in making the dreams of a billion Indians come true and help bring the World Cup home after 28 years. He would be fondly remembered for his big-hitting prowess and love for the game. And most importantly, he would be remembered for making an entire generation of Indians fall in love with the game again.
For a sportsman, the hardest part is to bid adieu to the sport which you have lived your life with. Yuvi is going to miss the game but more than that the game is going to miss this fearless warrior. Yes, we will see him in the T20 Leagues like the Global T20 in Canada and probably in Euro T20 Slam in Europe. But, we will never see him wearing the blue Indian team Jersey number 12. That jersey was a symbol of hope, reliability, fearlessness, strength, speed, and swag for all the Indian cricket fans. We will miss you Yuvi! We will miss the jersey no.12!
And, here we are at the end of our small retirement tribute to Yuvraj Singh, the Sixer King. As this icon of the game says goodbye to professional Indian cricket, we wish him all the very best for the next innings of his life. He is a super-achiever who will be part of our pleasant nostalgia forever. A cricketing era that was precious, bold, and shining like gold, has come to an end.
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuvraj_Singh
Related Reading:
Leave a Reply