6 of Yuvraj Singh's greatest knocks in international cricket
Yuvraj Singh “You can take whatever you want, take away my life, give me pain... But, God, just give us the World Cup.” – Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh’s last desperate plea to God on the eve of the all-important World Cup final match against Sri Lanka on 2 April 2011.In his autobiography “The Test of my Life”, Yuvraj admitted that he was willing to trade his life for cricket’s ultimate trophy, which would cap off a perfect career for Indian legend Sachin Tendulkar, to whom he had promised to bring the Cup home as a tribute. A few months later, the words almost came true; Yuvraj was close to trading his life for the trophy, battling for life at a far away place – Indianapolis, America. A dream run, where he had emerged as the Man-of-the-Tournament with 362 runs and 15 wickets that helped India lift the trophy, was now a thing of the past.Cancer. The 6-letter word that is enough to send the world into a tizzy targeted one of India’s greatest cricketers as the familiar surrounding of a cricket field was soon replaced by chemotherapy and radiation. In the most important encounter of his life, the left hander’s self-belief and confidence took no beating as he fought his toughest days with grit and determination to emerge triumphant once again.While a good number of players would have been satisfied with getting their lives back-on-track, cricket was the top priority for Yuvraj. On 8 September 2012 in Vishakapatnam, he staged a remarkable comeback to the sport he loved the most. However, after a few unsuccessful international stints, he is now out of the set-up. Earlier this month, a fairytale of sorts ended when Yuvraj, along with Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Harbhajan Singh and Zaheer Khan, the heroes of the 2011 World Cup, were omitted from the 30 member Provisional Squad for the World Cup to be held Down Under next year. Questions now raise over his form and fitness and his future as an Indian player.He might not don the No.12 jersey again, but there is no denying his role as an inspiration to a country of 1.2 billion. The maverick has a unique knack of emerging victorious when faced with daunting challenges, and his top 6 innings highlight just that.Here’s a look at some of Yuvraj Singh’s best knocks since 2000.
#1 84 v Australia, Champions Trophy, 2000
7 October 2000 marked the debut of a youngster who had caught the eyes of national selectors after a series of impressive performances in the title winning Under-19 World Cup campaign held earlier that year (12 wickets and 203 runs in 8 matches). The boy from Chandigarh made his international debut against the hosts Kenya in a Champions Trophy match, although he got a chance to bat in only his second match against Australia.
With India reeling at 90/3 in the 19th over, against an attack comprising of Glenn McGrath, Brett Lee and Jason Gillespie, Yuvraj stepped out and hit the very first ball he faced – a short delivery by Ian Harvey – for a boundary behind square.
The southpaw scored 84 off 80 balls bringing up his maiden half-century off a Glenn McGrath-delivery, which was punched down the ground for a four. Gillespie was in for some special treatment, driven fluently through the off-side. Although Yuvraj missed his century by 16 runs, he had done enough to knock Australia out of the tournament.
