Famous Five: Yuvraj Singh's T20I best

As Yuvraj Singh returns to the India team for his first international match in nearly two years, here's a look at five of his most impact performances in T20Is.


For whatever he has achieved as an Indian cricketer, Yuvraj will perhaps most be associated with September 19, 2007. For it was on this unforgettable day at Kingsmead that he etched his name into the record books by hitting six consecutive sixes off a hapless Stuart Broad during the India-England match of the inaugural ICC World Twenty20 in South Africa.
Virender Sehwag (68) and Gautam Gambhir (58) gave a solid foundation to India, but that over off Broad eclipsed every thing else. A bickering of sorts with Andrew Flintoff at the end of the previous over led to the hammering of Broad who was hit all around the ground by a charged up Yuvraj. It was the fourth time in the history of cricket, but first in Twenty20 internationals that a batsman hit a six off each of the six balls of an over. Needless to say, it was an exhibition of thrilling batting from the left-hander.
Eventually, England fell short by 18 runs, failing to to register a win in the Super Eights. Poignantly, they were 171/5 after 18 overs - the same score India had been at after the 18th over before Yuvraj ransacked 38 from Broad's over.


In one of the finest T20Is played, India beat Australia in a riveting game of cricket to reach the final of the World Twenty20. Again it was Yuvraj who had a big impact on the outcome of the semi-final, hitting 70 off 30 balls to propel India to 188/5. After a slow start India scored 140 off the last 11 overs, with MS Dhoni contributing a special 18-ball 36. Yuvraj's innings was actually better than his assault on Broad, and after that effort India's bowlers held their nerve in a riveting match to beat Australia and reach the final of the tournament.


They love Yuvraj in his home state of Punjab, and on this evening the fans at the PCA Stadium had every reason to cheer their hero on his birthday. In the first half of this match - which India needed to win to square the series - Yuvraj had the best figures for India, his three wickets including the two top-scorers of Sri Lanka's innings and the dangerous Chamara Kapugedera. But it was when India were chasing a stiff 207 that the left-hander really showed why he was regarded as a T20 threat. Virender Sehwag's 46-ball 64 had given India a rousing start, and when he fell entered Yuvraj, with the scoreboard reading 108/2 in 11 overs.
India needed to score 11 runs an over from there on, and Yuvraj didn't waste time. His fifth ball was lofted over extra cover, the next spanked over long-off for six. The eighth pitched on a length and disappeared into the stands again. From 23 off eight, Yuvraj was away like a locomotive. He took 23 off the 16th over bowled by Nuwan Kulasekara, with two superbly struck sixes and two fours, and though Dhoni and Suresh Raina fell thereafter, Yuvraj hung around to finish the record chase with his fifth six, a clean hit over long-on.
"Things couldn't have been better on my birthday," said the Man of the Match. "Winning the match, entertaining the crowd, hitting big sixes. I thought I would hit everything straight, when the field comes straight, go square. Best innings at my home ground."


With the series on the line, Yuvraj summoned his inner desire to hit his only half-century of the year, and it was a match-winning effort. Each of the batsmen before him had gotten starts but none was able to press on for a big one. Yuvraj did just that, smashing seven sixes in his 36-ball 72 that propelled India to a match-winning total of 192. It was Yuvraj at his best, backing his instincts to go deep against the bowlers. He set himself up before tonking his first six in the 13th over, off his 15th ball faced. Saeed Ajmal was then dumped over midwicket, Sohail Tanvir launched into the stands off successive deliveries, before Yuvraj turned his attention back to Ajmal. In the 19th over, the Pakistan offspinner was taken for three successive sixes. The fans were delirious.


A stunning comeback for Yuvraj - his second since he was hit by cancer - who was visibly leaner and clearly hungry to succeed. In this one-off T20I at Rajkot, India were 80/3 midway through the ninth over when Yuvraj entered the scenario. The run rate was over nine, the asking rate nearing 11. Virat Kohli had made a start, but fell soon after Yuvraj's arrival. With Dhoni, the task of finishing a chase of 202 fell on Yuvraj.
He began with singles and an edged boundary, but in the 14th over waded into Clint McKay with consecutive sixes and a four. Those shots ignited a pugnacious, match-winning half-century. In the 15th over, Nathan Coulter-Nile was launched for two fours; in the 16th, left-arm spinner Xavier Doherty crunched to long-on; next, Yuvraj swung James Faulkner for successive sixes to cross fifty in just 25 balls. Coulter-Nile came in for more treatment, lofted over cover for four and clipped off the pads for six. India won with two balls to spare, Yuvraj not out on 77 from 35 balls and Dhoni on 24 from 21.
"Thanks to Yuvi, who accepted the challenge of batting at No. 5, he completed his goal in the best possible manner," said a pleased captain of the returning allrounder's superb innings.