The fading genius of Yuvraj

The southpaw's limitations have started to surface in T20 cricket, where he has struggled to take off on a platform which he once made his own with relentless striking.

Yuvraj has been mediocre with the bat this year, with scores of 12, 4, 20 and 14, rarely doing justice to his once lofty standards.

Six sixes in an over at the inaugural World T20. 1177 T20I runs at 136.38. 2637 IPL runs at 130.02. Twice the most expensive player in the IPL (2014 and 2015).

Yuvraj Singh in his prime, with his effortless timing and whirling backlift, left fans spellbound. From hitting Stuart Broad for six consecutive sixes in Durban in 2007 to being signed by the Royal Challengers Bangalore for a jaw-dropping Rs. 14 Crore, Singh's shorter form abilities were one to behold.

The southpaw, unlike the previous editions, didn't attract a bidding war at the IPL auction this year.

 

However, the 36-year-old's limitations have started to surface in T20 cricket, where he has struggled to take off on a platform which he once made his own with relentless striking.

Playing for the Sunrisers Hyderabad, Singh managed a modest 252 runs from 12 matches at 142.37 in 2017 and 236 from 10 matches at 131.84 in 2016. And the southpaw, unlike the previous editions, didn't attract a bidding war at the IPL auction this year.

He was signed by Kings XI Punjab for his base price of Rs. 2 Crore, and has been mediocre with the bat, with scores of 12, 4, 20 and 14, rarely doing justice to his once lofty standards.

Punjab's batting might notwithstanding, it will be hoping for form revival when Singh walks out to bat next time.