Yuvraj Singh: Tale of a talisman

Yuvraj Singh: Tale of a talisman

After 25 years, I have decided to move on. Cricket has given me everything and is the reason why I stand here today,” the 37-year-old Yuvraj said addressing the media at an event in Mumbai. “I was extremely lucky to play 400 games for India. I could have never imagined it when I first started playing cricket,” he added.

Yuvraj Singh’s name is associated with all of Indian cricket’s high points of this millennium. He was the chief architect in the NatWest final of 2002 where India scaled a record run chase, was an integral performer in the World T20 win of 2007 and Man of the Tournament in the iconic 2011 World Cup glory with all his swagger, flair and talent.

The flamboyant yet mercurial Yuvraj on Monday drew curtains on a career that can be termed as quite remarkable, with plenty highs and some pretty brutal lows.   

Flashback to the year 2000
My memories take me back to the year 2000, when a 17-year-old Yuvraj Singh, on debut against Australia produced a masterclass with a knock of 84 at over run-a-ball.

In those days was a coveted achievement and when it comes in an ICC knockout game, the moment simply couldn’t be any trickier. What caught my eye was his penchant to inflict pressure on the bowlers at will. And to do that to a pace trio featuring Glenn McGrath, Jason Gillespie and Brett Lee, was a massive statement indeed.

As I got a chance to cover him across 6-7 seasons with the Indian team and during the Indian Premier League, one thing with Yuvraj Singh remained a constant. He chose his path, he chose his moments-and remained true to the game. He was a man for big occasions and loved to up his game on the biggest of platforms.

The world at his feet
The elegant all-rounder played for India for 17 years and won everything there is to win in the limited-overs game: that NatWest Trophy, the inaugural 2007 World T20, and above all, the 2011 World Cup. 

It was evident that Yuvraj always batted only the way he knew he could. One sensed he didn’t win his medals anonymously, by being part of a powerful squad; no, he left his mark on all those tournaments.

He won four Man-of-the-Match awards on the way to the World Cup final and he was the player of the tournament. But for me and many of his admirers, the Everest of his long career was that over in South Africa where he hit a young Stuart Broad for six sixes.

Fighting the lows
But the braveheart that he is, who has conquered many demons in his head on a cricket field, he overcame the disease and returned to the Indian team. However, his laboured 21-ball 11 in the final of the 2014 World T20, which resulted in India losing the title to Sri Lanka, seemed to have ended his India stint.

But he made another come back in 2016 and after lacklustre World Twenty20 in India, he was dropped again, only to return to the ODI side in 2017 after an impressive domestic season. Just the way he has taken many disappointments on his chin in the past and moved on, Yuvraj will be able to let this chapter go and will be ready to take a fresh guard.

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