Yuvraj Singh turns 41: A look at his magnificent feats
Yuvraj Singh, one of the most prodigious middle-order white-ball batters ever produced, turned 41 on Monday. Arguably the cleanest striker of the cricket ball, Yuvraj helped India win the coveted ICC World Cup after 28 years (in 2011), with his all-round exploits. He also starred in India's 2007 T20 World Cup titular win. Later, he bounced back after defeating deadly cancer.
A look at his international career
In a career spanning nearly 17 years, Yuvraj bolstered India's middle order in white-ball cricket. In 304 ODIs, he racked up 8,701 runs at an impressive average of 36.55, including 14 tons. He also registered 1,900 Test and 1,177 T20I runs in his career. In the latter stages of his career, Yuvraj also served the bowling segment. He finished with 148 international wickets.
Yuvraj's exploits in the 2011 World Cup
Yuvraj was named the Player of the Tournament as India lifted the World Cup in 2011. He became the first-ever player with the double of over 300 runs and 15 wickets. He also became the only player to score a fifty and record a five-for in a WC match (vs IRE). His awe-inspiring effort for his nation will always be treasured among the Indians.
The historic feat of smashing 6 sixes in an over
Over three years before the World Cup win, India were crowned champions of the inaugural World T20 (2007). Yuvraj was at the helm here as well, exhibiting his monstrous hitting. In the game against England, he smashed Stuart Broad for 6 sixes in an over, a feat that remains unbreakable. He also slammed a half-century off 12 balls, the fastest in T20Is to date.
A massive feat in ODIs
Yuvraj is one of three players alongside Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly to have registered a century and a five-wicket haul in ODIs. The former achieved this feat against England in November 2008. Yuvraj remains the only Indian in the 21st century to do so.
How Yuvraj defeated the deadly cancer
In 2011, Yuvraj was diagnosed with "mediastinal seminoma", a germ-cell tumor located between his two lungs. It was later reported that Yuvraj contracted the disease during the 2011 WC, which meant he played the tournament in pain. He scored a ton against West Indies after retching up while batting. Yuvraj underwent nine weeks of chemotherapy before returning to the field.
Yuvraj's record in the IPL
Yuvraj couldn't replicate his performance in the Indian Premier League (IPL). He scored 2,750 runs from 132 matches at an average of 24.77. However, his bowling did the trick. Notably, he is the only player to have clinched two hat-tricks in a single IPL edition (2009). Yuvraj is only behind Amit Mishra (3) on the overall list.
