5 Performances Of Yuvraj Singh That Changed Indian Cricket Forever
As Yuvraj Singh turns 37 today, it is a great time to look back at the achievements of a celebrated cricketer. But Yuvraj Singh is also one of the unique players who revolutionized Indian cricket in more ways than one.
The stylish southpaw who is currently on Ranji Trophy duty for Punjab, is working hard to make yet another comeback to the Indian team - with the dream of winning another World Cup for India before bowing out.
Yuvraj, who has been a key figure in India's cricketing setup for almost 20 years now, has seen all the ups and downs in his personal and professional life as a sportsman.
The talented Yuvraj used to be a skating champion during his childhood and that is when his father decided to make him a cricketer. What followed was rigorous training and practising in the nets under floodlights, all organized by his father.
He was outstanding at the junior level, and a man of the tournament award at the victorious Under-19 World Cup in January 2000 was a testimony to that. Yuvraj impressed one and all with his attacking strokeplay in his very first senior international innings against arguably the best bowling attack in that era. What followed was many more match-winning performances for the country in a career filled with challenges.
With the bat, ball and his extraordinary fielding efforts, Yuvraj contributed in almost a dozen multilateral series victories, rare Test series victories and dozens of other tournament victories. Outside the international circuit, he has been brilliant for his state team and also contributed to his IPL franchise Sunriser Hyderabad's maiden title victory in 2016.
With 402 international matches under his belt, Yuvraj might not have the number of centuries to match up to many Indian greats. But the number of matches he has single-handedly won for his country - especially in big tournaments - is good to put most Indian cricketing legends to shame.
Winning the 2011 World Cup while going through cancer, and then making a remarkable comeback after over a year, spoke volumes of his character and inspired millions to fight back.
While many of his fans are hoping for his return before the World Cup, some experts are also demanding his inclusion because of his fighting abilities and experience in the middle order - an area India is still struggling to find stability at. Let us have a look at some of Yuvraj's best all-round performances in big tournaments, which shaped Indian cricket the way it is today.