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Yuvraj Singh — have we seen the last of the man who won India three World Cups?

Yuvraj announced himself on the international stage with an 80-ball 84 against Australia in 2000.

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Yuvraj Singh was the Player of the Tournament in the ICC World Cup 2011 © Getty Images
Yuvraj Singh was the Player of the Tournament in ICC World Cup 2011 © Getty Images

Yuvraj Singh said in an interview that there is a chance he could make a comeback to the national side, but that he could also have played his last match for India. Shiamak Unwalla wonders whether this is really the end of the road for the man who helped India win the ICC Under-19 World Cup 1999-00, the ICC World T20 2007, and the ICC World Cup 2011.

There are few sights in cricket more aesthetically pleasing than Yuvraj Singh in full flow. The high back-lift; the uncanny timing; the serene yet raging cover drives; the pull off the front foot; the slog sweep off the spinners that make him one of the most feared batsmen in limited overs cricket. And then there are the shots that can’t quite be explained — shots that would look hideous and result in a dismissal if played by anyone else.


Yuvraj was a part of the squad that won India the ICC Under-19 World Cup 1999-00. While his performances with the ball stood out more in the tournament than those with his bat, he hit a 25-ball 58 in the semi-final against an Australian attack that featured the likes of Mitchell Johnson, Shane Watson, and Nathan Hauritz.

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Given that his all-round skills were on full display, the under-19 world cup could be seen now as a foreshadowing of his Man of the Tournament-winning feat during the ICC World Cup 2011. Below is Yuvraj’s performance in the ICC Under-19 World Cup 1999-00:

M

Runs

HS

Bat Ave

Wickets

BBI

Bowl Ave

Catches

8

203

68

33.83

12

4/15

11.5

4

Yuvraj announced himself on the international stage with an 80-ball 84 against Australia in his first ODI innings. Thereafter, he was more or less a permanent member of India’s ODI squad though he lacked the consistency expected of someone with his talent.

Below is Yuvraj’s overall ODI record since his debut in 2000 till his last match in 2013:

Period

M

Runs

HS

Ave

SR

100s

50s

2000-2013

293

8,329

139

36.37

87.24

13

51

Yuvraj has played just shy of 300 ODIs in a career spanning 13 years. While his numbers speak for itself, a closer look shows three distinct sets of figures.

The first was the period from his debut till in 2005 when he scored a 114-ball 110 against West Indies at Colombo. Below is the period of his first six years of international cricket:

Period

M

Runs

HS

Ave

SR

100s

50s

2000-2005

119

2,736

139

29.10

85.52

2

17

That knock against West Indies marked the beginning of a golden run that lasted for about four years in which Yuvraj was undisputedly India’s best ODI batsman. Below are Yuvraj’s figures in that time:

Period

M

Runs

HS

Ave

SR

100s

50s

2005-2009

117

4,282

138*

46.54

91.9

10

23

As seen above, Yuvraj’s golden run fetched him over half his career runs at a superb average of 46.54, and 10 of his 13 ODI tons. The ICC World T20 2007 came in the midst of this cracking form. And while Yuvraj managed just two half-centuries in that tournament, they were both massive game-changers that doubtless gave India a boost in their quest for the trophy.

Since that time though, his career graph has fallen away quite severely. Below is the third part of his career, post his purple patch in ODIs:

Period

M

Runs

HS

Ave

SR

100s

50s

2009-2013

57

1,311

113

30.48

77.61

1

11

Barring his form during the ICC World Cup 2011, Yuvraj’s performances post his golden run have been rather disappointing. And yet, he raised his game almost from nowhere to emerge as India’s main player in the World Cup. Apart from his 15 wickets at an impressive average of 25.13 and a strike rate of 30 — which are good even for a frontline bowler — Yuvraj proved to be India’s finisher even with the bat.

M

Runs

HS

Ave

SR

100s

50s

9

362

113

90.5

86.19

1

4

It should be kept in mind that Yuvraj’s highest score in his last 10 ODIs before the World Cup was 53. He had managed only 169 runs in that period at an average of around 28. And yet, come the World Cup, his average shot to over 90, he hit four fifties and a hundred in nine games, and was unbeaten in the final in company with MS Dhoni. All this, of course, while he had cancer.

To sum up, then, Yuvraj’s ODI career in the three phases could be seen as follows:

Yuvraj Singh Period M Runs HS Ave SR 100s 50s
Phase 1 2000-2005 119 2,736 139 29.1 85.52 2 17
Phase 2 2005-2009 117 4,282 138* 46.54 91.9 10 23
Phase 3 2009-2013 57 1,311 113 30.48 77.61 1 11
Total 2000-2013 293 8,329 139 36.37 87.24 13 51

Based on his recent figures, Yuvraj does not merit a place in the side. But here is a man who has helped his country win three World Cups; a man who fought and beat cancer; a man who is a proven fighter and winner; a man who raises his game to match the occasion; a man whose house was pelted with stones after one poor performance.

“Of course, there is a possibility that I may never play for India again. I have considered that. But there is also the possibility that I might play for India again, and as long as I believe that I can come back and I have it in me, I’m going to keep pushing myself,” he told Wisden India. Yuvraj is only 32; one feels a fourth phase of his career could yet be on the cards.

(Shiamak Unwalla, a reporter with CricketCountry, is a self-confessed Sci-Fi geek and Cricket fanatic. You can follow him on Twitter @ShiamakUnwalla)

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