Yuvraj Singh and India in T20Is - A tale of two successive sixes

The title of the article is inspired from Charles Dicken's 'A Tale of Two Cities' to give it a literary touch. In the recent Asia Cup match against Sri Lanka, Yuvraj Singh struck three sixes, two of which were on consecutive balls. He came down the track off the second last ball of Herath's over (13th of the innings) and smacked a six over long-on. The next ball sailed over mid-wicket for yet another mighty six. It was not the first time Yuvraj Singh has struck two sixes on successive balls in a T20I game, and this isn't something interesting.In fact, in his very third, T20I game, he struck 6 sixes in an over to Broad in a World T20 game. However, the fact that India wins 87.5% matches when Yuvraj Singh scores two successive sixes is indeed something to write on. While, when he strikes 2 or more sixes in a game and none of them on consecutive balls, the percentage for India’s victory drops to 66.7.Yuvraj has struck 2 or more sixes in a T20I match on 17 occasions; 8 of which had at least a pair of sixes on successive balls, while 9 did not. Out of 8 'successive sixes' match, India won 7- the only exception being T20 against New Zealand in 2009 at Wellington when Brandon McCullum took his team home on the last ball of the match.On the other hand, among 9 instances of non-successive sixes, 3 were in losing causes. We shall be discussing here the instances when Yuvraj struck sixes on consecutive balls and the result of that T20I match.

#1 England vs India, World T20, at Durban on 19 Sep 2007

One of the massive onslaught one could ever imagine in any formats of Cricket was handed to Broad by Yuvraj Singh. Offended by Flintoff’s sledging in the last over, Yuvraj sent Broad’s each ball of the next over flying across the boundary.

Broad bowled first delivery a little fullish in length and Yuvraj clears his front leg and heaves it over mid-wicket for a mighty six. The six is officially measured to be 111 meters long.

Second ball of the over is deposited over the backward square leg for another six. Third ball and third six; once more Yuvi clears his front leg and deposits the ball over the extra-cover six.

Broad comes with a change of angle on the fourth ball, but the result is the same - a wide full-toss which is sent by Yuvraj over point for another six. Penultimate ball of the over and Broad's misery continues - fifth six of the over, this time over the mid-wicket fence with one knee down on the ground.

Ultimate ball of the over, and ultimate humiliation. Yuvraj strikes it over wide mid-on in exactly similar style as he struck the first six and it goes flying for yet another big six.

Yuvraj, with his last six, brought his fifty off just 12 balls - fastest ever fifty in any senior level cricket going past Imran Nazir's 14-ball fifty against Lahore Eagles in 2005. With 6 sixes in an over, he became the first and so far the only batsman in T20Is, 2nd in entire international cricket after Herschelle Gibbs, and 4th in senior cricket to have done so. India won the match by 18 runs and Yuvraj Singh was awarded Man of the Match.