Yuvraj Singh
The Six-Over King: A left-handed all-rounder who reshaped T20 history and led India to World Cup glory.
Yuvraj Singh is an Indian former international cricketer who played in all formats, renowned as an all-rounder who batted left-handed in the middle order and bowled slow left-arm orthodox. Born on 12 December 1981 to Yograj Singh, he made his ODI debut in 2000 and his Test debut in October 2003. He served as vice-captain of the Indian ODI team between 2007 and 2008. His career is defined by historic feats like hitting six sixes off Stuart Broad in 2007 and leading India's charge in the 2011 World Cup, where he became the first player to take a 5-wicket haul and score a fifty in the same match.
Quick Facts
- Born
- 12 December 1981
- Birthplace
- Chandigarh, India
- Nickname
- Yuvi
- Batting
- Left-handed
- Bowling
- Slow left-arm orthodox
- Role
- Middle order batsman
- Country
- India
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.
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?
- He won 7 Player of the Series awards in ODI cricket, a joint third-highest record for an Indian cricketer shared with Sourav Ganguly.
- 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.
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