Yuvraj Singh's top 10 knocks: From NatWest Trophy flourish to World Cup glory

Yuvraj Singh announced his retirement from all forms of cricket on Monday. Here's Sportstar's pick of his 10 best knocks for India

Published : Jun 10, 2019 13:59 IST

Yuvraj flayed the Australian attack in the 2007 World T20 semifinals.
Yuvraj flayed the Australian attack in the 2007 World T20 semifinals.
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Yuvraj flayed the Australian attack in the 2007 World T20 semifinals.

Yuvraj Singh announced his retirement from all forms of cricket on Monday.

One of India's finest all-rounders, Yuvraj featured in 40 Tests, 304 ODIs and 58 T20Is for India. He donned the India colours for the last time in 2017 as an indifferent form and injury issues forced him out of national reckoning.

Here's Sportstar's pick of his 10 best knocks for India:

84 vs Australia (Nairobi, ICC Knockout tournament, 2000)

Playing in only his second ODI and his first International innings, he took apart a feared Australian attack of McGrath, Lee and Gillespie to make 84 off just 80 balls. His knock enabled India snap a seven-match losing streak against the Aussies in ODIs.

69 vs England (Lord's, 2002, Natwest final)

Chasing a mammoth 326, India was on the ropes after losing Sehwag, Ganguly, Dravid and Tendulkar. In walked Yuvraj and took charge. With Kaif for company, he counterattacked. The two added 121 off just 106 balls to put the team back on the rails before Kaif helped India script a sensational win

139 vs Australia (Sydney, 2004, VB Series)

The Indian team management started to maximise the potential of Yuvraj by promoting him to No. 5 in the batting order and reaped the rewards for it. He scored a then-career-high score of 139 off just 122 balls while putting on a mammoth 213-run partnership for the fourth wicket against the World Champion.

107* vs Pakistan (Karachi, 2006)

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Yuvraj Singh celebrates after scoring a century against Pakistan at the National Stadium in Karachi in 2006.
 

Yuvraj emerged as India's most valuable ODI player and a consistent match-winner alongside new-comer M.S. Dhoni under the guidance of coach Greg Chappell. Adding to his unbeaten 87 and 79 which had helped India to seal a series win in Pakistan, he finished the series with another unbeaten knock of 107 off 93 deliveries as India chased down 287 to win the series 4-1.

138 vs England (Rajkot, 2008)

Building on the formidable start provided by Gautam Gambhir and Sehwag, Yuvraj plundered the English attack to all parts of the ground in his unbeaten 138, which came from just 78 balls. An exact 100 runs came from 16 fours and six hits over the fence as India posted 387 on the board.

57* vs Australia (Ahmedabad, 2011, WC quarterfinal)

Australia had a 7-2 head-to-head record against India in World Cups ahead of the teams' quarterfinal meeting. India had lost half of its side at 187 in the 38th over in a 261 run-chase. Yuvraj and Suresh Raina held their nerve and took the attack to Australia, taking India home in the 48th over. The southpaw's flaying cover drive off Brett Lee for the winning runs and then slashing his bat in delight will forever be fresh in the memory of many Indian supporters.

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Yuvraj Singh celebrates hitting the winning runs as India overpowers Australia in the quarterfinal at the Sardar Patel Stadium, Motera in Ahmedabad on March 24, 2011.
 

 

READ:  Yuvraj's stroke of genius against Australia

169 vs Pakistan (2007, Bangalore Test)

Yuvraj never really had a distinguished Test career as opposed to his limited overs highs, often struggling to break into the XI ahead of the star-studded Indian middle order. He, however, scored a crucial 100 against Pakistan which helped India win a Test series at home. Walking in at 61/4 in the first innings, he stitched together a 200-run stand with Sourav Ganguly which enabled India to recover and post 626 on the board. The match ended in a draw and India held on to its 1-0 lead in the three-match series. That was Yuvraj's last Test century.

85* vs England (2008, Chennai Test)

In the aftermath of the Mumbai terror attacks, India was staring at defeat having been set 387 to chase in the fourth innings in Chennai. While Sehwag and Tendulkar stole the headlines with their brilliance, Yuvraj, too, played his part with a crucial 85. The English players tried to get into the head of the batsman with constant chatter, but he put his head down and played a supporting role to Tendulkar and seeing India through.

58 vs England (Durban, 2007, World T20 Super 8)

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Yuvraj Singh during his sensational six-sixes spree against Stuart Broad of England in Durban.
 

Arguably one of the most famous T20 knocks in the history of the format. After Sehwag and Gambhir's 136-run opening stand, quick wickets had pegged back India's surge to post a big total. Having walked in the 17th over, Yuvraj smashed the fastest T20 fifty from just 12 deliveries, which included a mauling of Stuart Broad. He took Broad apart with six successive sixes off the 19th over.

70 vs Australia (Durban, 2007, World T20 semifinals)

An injury forced Yuvraj to miss the match against South Africa in the Super 8s stage before he returned to face Australia in the semifinals. Walking in at No. 4 at the end of the eighth over, he unleashed carnage on the Aussie bowlers during a 30-ball 70, which turned the momentum in India's favour.

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