1) 58(16) vs England, T20 World cup 2007
When we hear the name of Yuvraj Singh, the first performance which comes to mind is the 6 6’s in an over-off Stuart Broad in the Super 8 match against England in the inaugural T20 World Cup 2007 in South Africa.
Yuvraj Singh achieved the feat in the 19th over of the innings and reached 50 off just 12 balls in the process, a record for the fastest T20I half-century which still stays. Yuvraj, made 58 off 16 balls in that match with 7 6’s, which is another record for the highest SR in an innings over 30 runs in T20Is in a match between 2 ODI status teams.
In the above-mentioned match, India made a score of 218/4 off 20 overs and restricted England to 200/6 off their 20 overs, and won by 18 runs.
2) 70(30) vs Australia, T20 World cup 2007 Semis
In the semi-finals of the T20 World cup in 2007, India came against Australia, who was looking strong after having won the 2007 World cup earlier that year.
India got off to a poor start and was 41/2 off 8 overs before Yuvraj Singh came to bat. Yuvraj then smashed Stuart Clark for a 6 off the 2nd ball he faced and never looked back after that. Yuvraj made 70 off 30 balls with 5 4’s and 5 6’s before getting out in the 18th over.
With Yuvraj Singh’s efforts, India scored 147 runs off the last 12 overs to end at 188/5 and win by 15 runs after restricting Australia to 173/7 off their 20 overs to set up a final with Pakistan, which India eventually won to claim the inaugural T20 World Cup trophy.
3) 84(80) vs Australia, ICC Knockout 2000 Quarter-finals
After the match-fixing scandal rocked the Indian cricket team in 2000 with some main cricketers being banned, India looked for a fresh start in ICC Knockout 2000. India had won the U19 World Cup earlier in the year and the man of the tournament, Yuvraj Singh, got for the ICC Knockouts.
While this match wasn’t Yuvraj Singh’s debut as he had debuted in India’s first-round match against Kenya, but this was the first time Yuvraj Singh walked out to bat. Yuvraj Singh then showed a glimpse into the future of Indian cricket as the 18-year-old Yuvraj smashed the likes of McGrath, Brett Lee, and Gillespie to score 84 off 80 balls and announced his arrival on the international stage with a bang.
With Yuvraj Singh’s efforts, India made a score of 265/9 off their 50 overs and won by 20 runs after bowling Australia out for 245.
4) 60(25)* vs Sri Lanka, Mohali 2009
In the 2nd T20I played against Sri Lanka in 2009, India completed their highest run chase in T20Is, a record which still stays after 12 years.
Sri Lanka batted 1st after winning the toss and made 206/7 off their 20 overs. During the chase, India was 108/2 off 11 overs when Yuvraj Singh walked into bat, still needing 99 off 54 balls to win. Yuvraj Singh, then smashed 60 off 25 balls with 3 4’s and 5 6’s as India chased down the target with 5 balls to spare Yuvraj Singh, also finished off the run-chase with a 6.
An honorable mention also goes to Yuvraj Singh’s innings of 69 off 63 balls in the Natwest 2002 final where he and Mohammad Kaif, both played memorable knocks to help India chase down 326 after being 146/5 to win the Natwest series in 2002.
5) 150(127) vs England, Cuttack 2017
In the 2nd ODI of the 3-match ODI series against England in 2017, Yuvraj Singh produced a match-winning knock of 150. This was also Yuvraj Singh’s first and only ODI century he scored after his comeback from cancer in 2011.
India was 25/3 off 4.4 overs after being sent in to bat by England and then Yuvraj Singh took over and showed a glimpse of what he is known for as he smashed England bowlers to score 150 off 127 balls. Yuvraj Singh even had a chance to score an ODI 200 as 7 overs remained when he got out, but still, with a knock of 150, Yuvraj Singh got picked for the Champions Trophy in 2017.
Regarding the match, Yuvraj Singh’s knock took India to a score of 381/6 off their 50 overs and India eventually won by 15 runs after a spirited run chase by England, where they made 366/8 off their 50 overs.
