Yuvraj Singh

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Lore & Background

Yuvraj's career reached its zenith during the 2011 World Cup, where he played eight innings in nine matches, scoring a remarkable 362 runs at an average of 90.50 while taking 15 wickets with an economy rate of 5.02. Beyond his batting and bowling prowess, he is remembered for his resilience; diagnosed with a cancerous tumor in his left lung in 2011, he underwent chemotherapy in Boston and Indianapolis, returning to international cricket in September 2012 against New Zealand. Earlier, during the 2007 World Twenty20, he achieved a unique feat by hitting six sixes in one over bowled by Stuart Broad against England—a performance never before seen in an international match between two Test nations. In that same tournament, he set the record for the fastest fifty in Twenty20 Internationals, reaching 50 runs in just 12 balls.

In Their Own Story

The match against England at the 2007 World Twenty20 remains etched in cricketing history. Facing Stuart Broad, Yuvraj Singh unleashed a barrage of power that stunned the world. He hit six consecutive sixes in a single over, a feat performed only three times previously in any senior cricket but never before between two Test-status teams. Adding to his brilliance, he raced to 50 runs in just 12 balls, setting a new benchmark for the fastest half-century in T20 cricket and international cricket overall at that time. This performance was not an isolated flash of genius; it capped a tournament where he demonstrated extraordinary all-round capability. Later, during the 2011 World Cup, he proved his value as a match-winner by becoming the first player to both take a 5-wicket haul and score a 50 in the same World Cup match, anchoring India's campaign with 362 runs at an average of 90.50 across eight innings.

Reader's Guide

Fans should note Yuvraj Singh's unique records that remain valid today. While his record for the fastest fifty in international cricket (12 balls) was broken by Dipendra Airee during the 2023 Asian Games, Singh still holds the record within the ICC Cricket World Cup and among all ICC full member nations. His 2011 World Cup performance is a masterclass in consistency: he scored 362 runs at an average of 90.50 and took 15 wickets with an economy rate of 5.02. For those interested in his personal journey, his battle with lung cancer diagnosed in 2011 is as inspiring as his on-field heroics; he completed three cycles of chemotherapy by March 2012 and made a comeback against New Zealand that September. Off the field, he was honored with the Arjuna Award in 2012 and the Padma Shri in 2014. His IPL journey saw him bought for ₹14 crore by Royal Challengers Bengaluru in 2014 and later by Delhi Capitals (formerly Delhi Daredevils) for a record ₹16 crore in 2015, making him the second most expensive player until Chris Morris broke that record in 2021.

Did You Know?

• Yuvraj Singh is the son of former Indian cricketer and actor Yograj Singh.
• He won 7 Player of the Series awards in ODI cricket, a joint third-highest record for an Indian cricketer shared with Sourav Ganguly.
• In the 2011 World Cup, he became the first player to take a 5-wicket haul and score a fifty in the same match.
• He holds the record for the fastest fifty in ICC Cricket World Cup history (12 balls), even after it was broken in international T20s by Dipendra Airee.
• His request to return to domestic cricket and the IPL was denied by the BCCI due to his participation in the Global T20 Canada and Abu Dhabi T10 leagues.