Former Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh is celebrating his 43rd birthday on December 12, 2024. Known for his fiery batting, Yuvraj was a strength of middle-order in the Indian middle-order in the decade of 2000s. He pulled off so many memorable knocks and played crucial roles in India’s famous wins throughout the years. From hitting six sixes in an over during the 2007 T20 World Cup to winning player of the tournament in India’s 2011 ODI World Cup triumph, Yuvraj had a memorable career in international cricket.
Yuvraj Singh made his international debut in an ODI match against Kenya during the ICC Knockout (now known as Champions Trophy) in 2000. He showed his batting prowess in his second international after the left-hander scored a fiery 84 runs in the quarter final against Australia in that tournament. With time, Yuvraj became a crucial middle-order batter for India across formats and played a monumental role in India’s famous wins.
Yuvraj Singh was a part of the Indian team that won the inaugural edition of the T20 World Cup in 2007. One of the main highlights of that tournament was Yuvraj hitting Stuart Broad for six sixes in an over after an heated altercation with Andrew Flintoff during a match against England in Durban. Apart from that, Yuvraj also smashed a fiery 70 runs in the semi-final against Australia in Durban. The left-hander scored 148 runs from six matches in the 2007 T20 World Cup at a staggering strike rate of 194.73.
2011 World Cup win and battle with cancer
One of the biggest moments of Yuvraj Singh’s cricketing career came when India won the ODI World Cup title after 28 years in 2011. Yuvraj was adjudged player of the tournament for his all-round performance, scoring 362 runs with the bat and taking 15 scalps with the ball. However, Yuvraj was seen facing several issues with his health during the tournament and was diagnosed with cancer. Soon after the World Cup, Yuvraj went to the USA for his cancer treatment that lasted for two and a half months.
After more than one and a half years, Yuvraj Singh finally made his return to the cricketing field in a T20I match against New Zealand in Chennai on September 11, 2012. However, after was in and out in the Indian team for a few years and was also a part of the Indian squad for the T20 World Cup in 2014 and 2016 and the Champions Trophy in 2017. His last international game came against West Indies in North South on June 30, 2017, while he announced his retirement from all forms of cricket in 2019.
Talking about his IPL career, Yuvraj Singh has played five different franchises, including the likes of Kings XI Punjab (now known as Punjab Kings), Pune Warriors India, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Delhi Daredevils, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Mumbai Indians. He also won the title with Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2016 and Mumbai Indians in 2019.
