Yuvraj Singh – The Warrior Prince

The man behind India’s triumph in the 2011 World Cup has bid adieu to international cricket, bringing an end to a dramatic career. Though it is a sad end for Yuvraj Singh, he should be proud of all of his achievements. Yuvraj’s name will remain forever in the history of cricket.

Early Days

Yuvraj Singh, born in Chandigarh, India, is the son of a former India cricketer, Yograj Singh. Yuvraj loved roller skating and tennis but he focused on cricket because of his father’s association with the sport.

Yuvraj’s career took off when he was selected in the Indian squad for the Under-19 World Cup in 2000. He was named man-of-the-tournament as a Mohammad Kaif-led Indian team emerged as winners. Yuvraj’s performance in the Under-19 World Cup got him a call up to the senior side.

International Breakthrough

Yuvraj, along with several other Indian champions, owes his career to former captain, Sourav Ganguly. Yuvraj’s career, as he acknowledged in his retirement speech, was a result of the belief that Ganguly had in him.

During the early 21^st century, Ganguly was looking for young players who could turn out to be matchwinners. Ganguly’s ideology was to show faith in young players regardless of performances, which undoubtedly helped Yuvraj in his fledgling career.

Yuvraj was selected in the Indian squad for the 2000 ICC KnockOut Trophy and made his debut against Kenya in the pre-quarter-finals, although he didn’t bat. However, he bowled four overs and conceded just 16.

In the game against Australia in the quarter-finals, Yuvraj won the man-of-the-match scoring 84 in 80 balls against a bowling attack which comprised of Glenn McGrath, Brett Lee and Jason Gillespie, helping India win by 20 runs.

On the whole, Yuvraj endured a lean first year in international cricket, although a crucial 98 not out in the Coca Cola Cup against Sri Lanka helped his cause. That knock turned out to be futile, though, as his form dropped again, leading to him being replaced in the squad by Hemang Badani.

Later in 2002, Yuvraj made a comeback in the two ODIs against Zimbabwe, scoring 80 off 60 and 75 off 52 in the two games respectively.

The Turning Point

The famous 2002 Natwest Series Final – England vs India- set Yuvraj’s career on fire. Chasing 325, India was off to a flier as skipper Ganguly scored 60 off 43 balls and Virender Sehwag 45 off 49. England had made a comeback with India losing wickets in quick successions, and already smelling defeat, the Indian crowd had started to the leave the field with two young batsmen, Yuvraj and Kaif, fighting a tough battle. Suddenly, the game had started to shift in India’s favour, as Yuvraj and Kaif had started to build a steady partnership.

The duo shared a 121-run partnership for the 6^th wicket, which came to an end when Yuvraj was dismissed for 69 off 63 balls as he top-edged a sweep shot resulting in a simple catch to Alex Tudor at short fine-leg.

India went on to win the game with three balls to spare resulting in India’s first win in a final of an ODI tournament since 2000 after nine consecutive defeats.

Solidifying his place

Yuvraj never looked back after this. He scored his maiden ODI century against Bangladesh at Dhaka in 2003, but the innings that defined him as one of the best Indian finishers was the innings he played against Pakistan in the 2003 World Cup. Yes, Sachin Tendulkar’s masterful innings had made it easier for the Indians to seal the game, but chasing 273 back then wasn’t as easy as it may seem now. To be able to handle the pressure of a high-intensity game, build a partnership with Rahul Dravid and finish the game clinically without losing a wicket showed how mature Yuvraj had become.

One for the history books

If there is one thing people would remember Yuvraj for then it would be the six sixes in an over against Stuart Broad in a crucial game in the inaugural edition of the ICC World T20 in South Africa. Not only did Yuvraj hit six back-to-back maximums, but he also went on to score 50 off just 12 balls. It was, and still is, the fastest half-century ever recorded in international cricket in all forms. Yuvraj was in the best form of his life back then and his fearless batting helped India win the trophy under the captaincy of MS Dhoni.

The only medal that was missing from Yuvraj’s trophy cabinet was the ICC ODI World Cup. Yuvraj was having a dream run during 2011, not only with the bat but also with the ball. Yuvraj had proved himself to be a very handy all-rounder and a finisher with the bat. His contribution in the 2011 World Cup winning campaign was paramount, especially in the knockout game against Australia. Yuvraj was named the man-of-the-tournament for his all-around performances.

Turn of Events

During the World Cup, Yuvraj’s body was not fit. Little did he know that he was carrying a cancerous tumor in his left lung throughout the tournament. This is where Yuvraj earns all his respect, not only by being a champion on the field, but by being a fighter off it as well. Yuvraj Singh won this battle as well, a battle bigger than any game of cricket, a battle which can make a World Cup trophy look very small, the battle of life against death. Today, Yuvraj has his own charity foundation to help underprivileged people for cancer treatment. It is called “YouWeCan”.

Tryst with destiny

Yuvraj had a break during his cancer treatment. He did make his comeback into the Indian setup but struggled to make the sort of impact that he had before. No matter how harsh it may seem, Indian cricket had moved on, and fitness had become an issue for our warrior prince, Yuvraj Singh. When age makes its presence known, there is not much one can do. With new talent making their way into the Indian setup, it had become extremely difficult for Yuvraj to make a comeback and hold his position.

Yes, it was a sad end to a great career and some may argue that BCCI should have given Yuvraj a farewell game, but one must remember that life is not kind. Yuvraj Singh’s name will never be forgotten from the history of world cricket for he has been much more than just an entertainer.