The last time Yuvraj Singh batted against Sri Lanka in a Twenty20 International (T20I) at Dhaka was on April 6, 2014. He scored 11 runs off 21 balls. India could only score 130 for 4 batting first. That was the final of ICC World T20 2014, and Sri Lanka won by 6 wickets with over two overs to spare. Yuvraj was made fun of. He was abused. His house was stoned. The man who won India multiple World Cups went from being a beloved national hero to the villain who had cost India the tournament after one bad innings. FULL CRICKET SCORECARD: India vs Sri Lanka, Asia Cup 2016, Match 7 at Dhaka
Almost two years later, he was against batting against Sri Lanka at Dhaka in a T20I. This time India were chasing. The target was merely 139 — not a big target by any stretch, but dicey given the situation. India were reduced to 16 for 2, and after a period of rebuilding, got to 70 for 3. Yuvraj walked out with 69 runs needed off 53 balls, fresh from an innings of 14 not out off 32 balls against Pakistan in the previous match. He was not timing the ball at all against Pakistan, and was perhaps a bit lucky to survive that long. But India were only chasing 84, and he could afford to take it easy. This time around, India could not afford another crawl. READ: Yuvraj Singh exorcises the ghosts of ICC World T20 2014 final
Yuvraj was not in good form; of that there is no doubt. When he was named in India’s squad for the T20I series in Australia many considered it a bolt from the blue. He got to play all three matches of that series. He looked fit enough, and his fielding was still reliable, but he did not bat in either of the first two matches. READ: Yuvraj Singh and the joy of old heroes
In the final T20I he came in to bat with India needing 51 off 31 balls. He was on 1 off 4 balls at the start of the penultimate over, with India needing 22 off 12. He could only get 4 off 5 balls that over. India needed 17 to win off the last over, with Yuvraj on strike batting on 5 off 9 balls. With unimaginable pressure on him, Yuvraj flicked the first ball for four to square leg before sending the next ball — a near-perfect yorker — over midwicket in trademark fashion. Yuvraj ended up with 15 not out off 12 balls. That was his first international innings since his choke against Sri Lanka in the 2014 World T20 final. Yuvraj followed that knock with scores of 10, 0, 15, and 14 not out. READ: ICC World Cup 2011: Yuvraj Singh creates history against Ireland
Back to the Asia Cup match against Sri Lanka: Yuvraj came in to bat with 69 runs to win off 53 balls. The second ball he faced was short and wide, and dispatched over point for four. The fifth ball he faced was sent over long on for his first six of the match. The next ball he faced was shipped to the crowds over midwicket. Yuvraj — struggling and out of form — was now on 18 off 6. READ: Yuvraj Singh: The man who won India three World Cups
Thisara Perera was creamed over cover for another six a couple of overs later. Dushmantha Chameera was then pulled into the boundary at backward square leg. Perera was hammered over mid-off for four more. The bowler had his revenge next ball, as Yuvraj hooked it down to the fielder at fine leg, but India had the match in hand by then. The required rate when Yuvraj came in to bat was over 8 per over. By the time he was done it was less than 6. Yuvraj’s 35 runs had come off 18 balls, at a strike rate of 194.44 with 3 fours and as many sixes. READ: Yuvraj Singh rises from the ashes
Yuvraj has been written off repeatedly. He has come back repeatedly. After that poor innings in the World T20 final he had an excellent season of IPL. Though he was overlooked for selection in ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, he had a productive Ranji Trophy season. There were calls to drop him after his slow innings against Pakistan (never mind that he remained unbeaten when another wicket could have spelled India’s doom) and he responded with an 18-ball 35.
The World T20 2014 final was a nightmare for Yuvraj, but two years later he has announced his return to form against the same team and at the same venue that could have ended his career. By now it should surprise no one; no matter how many times anyone writes Yuvraj off, he always seems to have enough magic left in the tank to prove them wrong.
(Shiamak Unwalla, a reporter with CricketCountry, is an animal lover and comic, film and TV geek. A fast bowler at heart, he loves watching a good, low-scoring game of cricket. His Twitter handle is @ShiamakUnwalla)
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