One of India’s finest all-rounders, Yuvraj Singh has announced his retirement from international cricket on Monday, 10 June. In an international career that spanned nearly 17 years, Yuvraj featured in 40 Tests, 304 ODIs and 58 T20Is for India in which he scored 1900, 8701 and 1177 runs respectively.
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 are top 5 innings of Yuvraj Singh from Natwest to World Cup 2011:
84 off 80 vs Australia (Nairobi, 2000)
A young Yuvraj playing in only his second ODI and his first international innings, took apart a feared Australian attack of Glenn McGrath, Brett Lee and Jason Gillespie to score 84 of 80 balls. His knock enabled India to snap a seven-match losing streak against the Aussies in ODIs. India knocked the 1999 World Cup champions off their perch with a memorable 20-run victory over Australia in their ICC KnockOut quarter-final.
69 off 63 vs England (Lord’s, 2002)
The knock in the Natwest Trophy Final established Yuvraj as a mainstay in India’s ODI line-up for years to come. India had lost Virender Sehwag, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar in the 24th over for 146 runs in a mammoth chase of 326 runs in the final. When it seemed like India’s hopes were dashed, Yuvraj led the charge with a belligerent 69 in the company of Mohammed Kaif as they put on a counter-attacking 121-run partnership off just 106 balls.
58 off 16 vs England (Durban, 2007)
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 off 30 vs Australia (Durban, 2007)
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.
57 off 65 vs Australia (Ahmedabad, 2011)
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.
