Yuvraj Singh – 300 Not Out, an Innings of Bravado, Valour and Glory

Remember the NatWest series finale of 2002? When two young men fought with all their might, stealing victory from the jaws of defeat. Do you recall the 2007 T20 world cup? A young Indian side which had been written off by cricket analysts, played with a lot of heart fighting through every match only to be crowned world champions! And as we talk about being crowned World Champions who can forget the cricket World Cup of 2011. All these tournaments have two things in common, which had eventually become synonymous to each other, especially for Indian fans Yuvraj Singh and hope.

17 years ago a young Punjabi boy made his debut for India in the ICC Knockout cup, just another edition of the ICC Champions Trophy. He was the youngest in the team yet emitted an aura of calmness; he had entered in the team on the back of some exceptional performances in the U-19 world cup. He exuded confidence yet there was no air of arrogance for being one among a team that boasted of the Sachins, the Dravids, and the Gangulys.

They say life comes a full circle, may be that’s true for some events in cricket too. Yuvraj made his debut against Kenya in 2000 in a version of the Champions Trophy, and he didn’t get his chance to bat in that match the Indian top order was too good for the Kenyan bowling. Cut to the present June 2017, Yuvraj played his 300 ODI in the Champions Trophy 2017 against Bangladesh and this time too he didn’t get a chance to bat.

Yuvraj Singh has been a pillar in the revolution of Indian cricket, extra ordinary fielding, quick running, bullet throws, and diving to catch or stop the ball in an era where players shied away from doing so. He seemed to have rubber wrists, those smooth glances, cheeky shots, cuts and that trade mark drive. There was elegance in his batting, but there was aggression and power too. He could hit big strokes at will, intimidating the opposition bowlers; Yuvraj had earned a reputation of hitting big sixes, who knows that better than Stuart Broad?

It seems as if it was only yesterday that we witnessed him smacking six sixes, or roaring out after playing a match winning Innings against Australia. But reality hits you hard; it has been 17 years since his debut, a decade since those six sixes and today Yuvraj of 35 still fights for India on the pitch. But in these seventeen years the south paw has witnessed moments of 70.

Debut in a team boasting of big names, to becoming a big name himself, being the hero of the T20 triumph, lifting India on its shoulders to the 2011 world cup, battling cancers, personal lows, being dropped out, fighting to make his way through only to be forcefully dropped again, fighting personal lows and expectations he fought and kept on dong that, this never say die attitude has brought him back in the team, showing glimpses of his vintage self today too Yuvraj is synonymous to hope.

A lot has changed in the 300 times he took the field, the people, rules, games, needs, his body but his intent and love for the game doesn’t seem to get altered. He has become the only fifth player from this cricket crazy nation to step on field for 300 times yet he brings with him freshness.

In life and on Field he has tried contributing in every way he could whether it is his dynamic battling, invaluable bowling spells or his dynamic fielding. In life too he has been one for the family, one for the team and one for those who needed hope to fight cancer.

We don’t know what future brings, we don’t know how long we’ll be able to savour his cricket, but one thing is for sure he’s special, he’s loved so much so that every time you see him play you want some more. We hope this some more keeps coming.