Yuvraj SinghFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaYuvraj Singh

Yuvraj Singh at a promotional event in January 2013.

Personal information

Born12 December 1981 (age32)Chandigarh, India

NicknameYuvi

Height6ft 0in (1.83m)

Batting styleLeft-handed

Bowling styleSlow left-arm orthodox

RoleAll-rounder

RelationsYograj Singh (father)

International information

National side India

Test debut (cap247)16 October 2003vNew Zealand

Last Test5 December 2012vEngland

ODI debut (cap134)3 October 1999vKenya

Last ODI11 December 2013vSouth Africa

T20I debut (cap15)13 September 2007vScotland

Last T20I06 April 2014vSri Lanka

Domestic team information

YearsTeam

1996presentPunjab

2003Yorkshire

20082010Kings XI Punjab

20112013Pune Warriors India

2014presentRoyal Challengers Bangalore

Career statistics

CompetitionTestODIsT20IFC

Matches4029234106

Runs scored190083298686829

Batting average33.9336.3733.3844.92

100s/50s3/1113/510/720/32

Top score16913977*209

Balls bowled931149883162508

Wickets91112328

Bowling average60.7738.1816.2251.78

5 wickets in innings0101

10 wickets in match0000

Best bowling2/95/314/175/94

Catches/stumpings31/-92/-9/-97/-

Source: Cricinfo, 5 December 2013

Yuvraj Singh (pronunciation(helpinfo)) (born 12 December 1981) is an Indian international cricketer. He is an all-rounder who bats left-handed in the middle-order and bowls slow left-arm orthodox. He is the son of former Indian fast bowler and Punjabi actor Yograj Singh. Yuvraj has been a member of the Indian cricket team in ODIs since 2000 and played his first Test match in 2003. He was the vice-captain of the ODI team from late-2007 to late-2008. He was the Man of the Tournament in the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup, and one of the top performers at the 2007 ICC World Twenty20, both of which India won. In a match against England at the 2007 World Twenty20, he famously hit six sixes in one over bowled by Stuart Broad a feat performed only three times previously in any form of senior cricket, and never in an international match between two Test cricket teams.In 2011, Yuvraj was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor in his left lung and underwent chemotherapy treatment in Boston and Indianapolis.[1][2] In March 2012, he was discharged from the hospital after completing the third and final cycle of chemotherapy and returned to India in April.[3][4] He made his international comeback in a Twenty20 match in September against New Zealand shortly before the 2012 World Twenty20.Yuvraj was conferred with the Arjuna Award, India's second highest sporting award, in the year 2012 by the President of India Pranab Mukherjee.[5] In 2014, he was awarded the Padma Shri, India's fourth highest civilian honour.Contents 1 Early years and personal life 2 Career 2.1 Youth career 2.2 International breakthrough 2.3 2002 NatWest Series 2.4 2002/032004 2.5 20052006: Revival in form 2.6 2007-2011 2.7 2012-2014 3 Playing style 4 Indian Premier League 4.1 Season by season at IPL 5 Centuries 5.1 Test centuries 5.2 ODI centuries 6 Commercial interests 7 See also 8 References 9 External linksEarly years and personal lifeYuvraj was born to parents Yograj Singh and Shabnam Singh.[6][7][8][9][10] After his parents divorced, Yuvraj chose to stay with his mother.[11] Tennis and roller skating were Yuvraj's favorite sports during his childhood and he was quite good at both. He had also won the National U-14 Roller Skating Championship. His father threw away the medal and told him to forget skating and concentrate on cricket.[12] He would take Yuvraj to training every day. He studied at the DAV Public School in Chandigarh. Yuvraj also did two short roles as child "star", Mehndi Sajda Di and Putt Sardara.CareerYouth careerYuvraj broke into the Punjab Under-16s at the age of 13 years and 11 months in November of the 199596 season against Jammu and Kashmir-16s.[13] In 199697, Yuvraj was promoted to the Punjab Under-19s and scored 137 not out against Himachal Pradesh Under-19s.[14]Yuvraj made his first-class debut in late-1997 against Orissa during the 1997/98 Ranji Trophy season. In that match, he did not score any runs.[15] His first breakout performance came in the Under-19 Cooch Behar Trophy Final of 1999 against Bihar; Bihar were all out with a score of 357 and Yuvraj opened for Punjab and he made 358 runs alone. Yuvraj represented India in the series against Sri Lanka Under-19s in India in February 1999. In the third ODI, Yuvraj scored 89 runs from 55 balls.[16] In 1999-2000 Ranji Trophy, he scored 149 against Haryana.[17]In the ICC Under-19 World Cup 1999/00 which India won under the captaincy of Mohammed Kaif, Yuvraj's all-round performance earned him the Player of the Tournament award and a call to the national squad.[18] His performance in the tournament included a quickfire 58 off 25 balls against Australia in the semis [19] and, 68 (62) and 4/36 against New Zealand in a group stage match.[20] Yuvraj was subsequently selected in 2000 for the first intake of the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore.[21]International breakthroughYuvraj was selected in the Indian squad for the 2000 ICC KnockOut Trophy in the back of his impressive outings for the Under-19 team. He made his international debut against Kenya in the pre-quarterfinal. He bowled four overs conceding 16 runs but did not get to bat. In the quarterfinal match against Australia, Yuvraj won the man of the match for his innings of 84 (80), against a pace attack consisting of Glenn McGrath, Brett Lee and Jason Gillespie, that helped India win by 20 runs.[22] In the semifinal against South Africa, he scored 41 and picked 1/15.[23] He scored only 14 against New Zealand in the final which India lost. The tournament was followed by a tri-series involving India, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe. Yuvraj scored just 55 runs in five innings at an average of 11. Yuvraj averaged 15.50 in the ODI series against the touring Zimbabwe side in December 2000 after which he was dropped from the team.Yuvraj made his comeback during the 2001 Coca-Cola Cup in Sri Lanka. He scored a crucial 98* against Sri Lanka in the fifth match in an otherwise disappointing series with the bat.[24] However, he proved to be useful with the ball as he picked up 8 wickets at an average of 27.[25] In the Standard Bank triangular series involving hosts South Africa, India and Kenya, Yuvraj managed to score only 69 runs from 6 innings, including a duck in the final against South Africa.[26] Following this, Dinesh Mongia and Hemang Badani were chosen over Yuvraj in the squad for the home series against England in January 2002.Yuvraj returned to playing domestic cricket in early-2002. After a disappointing run in the Ranji knockouts, Yuvraj struck 209 for North Zone against South Zone in a Duleep Trophy match in March 2002.[27] He was immediately drafted into the national squad for the final two ODIs against Zimbabwe with India trailing the series 1-2. Yuvraj made impact in his return match at Hyderabad, scoring an unbeaten 80 off just 60 balls, to take India to a five-wicket win and level the series. He won the Man of the Match award for his efforts.[28] In the final ODI at Guwahati, Yuvraj made 75 runs from 52 balls, sharing a 157-run fifth-wicket partnership with Mongia who scored his career-best unbeaten 159, to help India post a total of 333 in their 50 overs. India went on to win the game by 101 runs and the series 3-2.[29]2002 NatWest SeriesAfter winning the ODI series in the West Indies 2-1, where Yuvraj managed scores of 1 and 10, the Indian team toured England in June for the NatWest triangular series and a four-match Test series against the hosts. The NatWest Series featured teams from England and Sri Lanka, apart from India. In the first match at Lord's, Yuvraj won the man of the match for his all-round performance (3/39 and 64*) as India successfully chased down England's total of 271.[30] In the next match against Sri Lanka, Yuvraj scored 31 and shared a crucial 60-run sixth-wicket partnership with Mohammad Kaif to setup another successful run-chase.[31] India's next match against England was washed out due to rain after Yuvraj had scored an unbeaten 40 off 19 balls to take India to 285/4 in their 50 overs.[32] Yuvraj's knock of 37, along with a fifty from Rahul Dravid, helped India recover from 59/4 to reach the target of 188 against Sri Lanka.[33] This win eliminated Sri Lanka from the series with another round of matches still to be played. Yuvraj had scores of 5 and 8 in the final round of matches but proved to be useful with the ball as he picked one wicket in each of the two games. At the end of the round-robin matches, India topped the points table with 19 points while England finished second with 15 points.[34]The final was played at Lord's on 13 July between India and England. After winning the toss and electing to bat first, England posted a daunting total of 325/5 in 50 overs. In reply, India were struggling at 146/5 at the end of 24 overs, when Kaif joined Yuvraj at the crease. The pair initially stabilised the innings and later scored at a brisk rate. The duo shared a partnership of 121 runs for the sixth wicket which came to an end when Yuvraj was dismissed for 69 (63 balls) as he top-edged a sweep shot in the 42nd over off the bowling of Paul Collingwood resulting in a simple catch to Alex Tudor at short fine leg. India went on to win the game by two wickets with three balls to spare.[35] This was India's first win in the final of an ODI tournament since 2000, after nine consecutive defeats.[36] This win is regarded as one of India's greatest victories in ODI cricket.[37]2002/032004Yuvraj batted in two games of the 2002 ICC Champions Trophy which was held in Sri Lanka in September. He scored 3 against Zimbabwe in the opening match, and 62 in the semifinal against South Africa. In November 2002, Yuvraj struggled in the first five games of the 7-match ODI series against West Indies, with a high score of 30. He returned to form in the sixth ODI at Jodhpur with a crucial half-century that helped India win the match by three wickets and level the series 3-3.[38] He top-scored for India in the 7th match with a 69-ball 68, but could not get support from any other batsman. India crashed to a 135-run defeat and lost the series.[39] Yuvraj struggled for runs in the 7-match ODI series in New Zealand in December 2002-January 2003, averaging just above 19 with a solitary fifty.Despite his indifferent form leading to the World Cup, Yuvraj secured a place in the 15-man Indian squad for the 2003 ICC Cricket World Cup in South Africa. Yuvraj scored 37 in India's opening match against Netherlands. In the following games, he had scores of 0, 1 and 7* against Australia, Zimbabwe and Namibia respectively. He scored a brisk 42 against England, followed by an unbeaten 50 against Pakistan setting up wins for India in both games. In the Super Six stage of the tournament, Yuvraj had scores of 58* against Kenya, and 5 against Sri Lanka. He scored 16 in the semifinal against Kenya, and 24 against Australia in the final.Yuvraj scored his maiden ODI century (102* from 85 balls) against Bangladesh at Dhaka on 11 April 2003. In May 2003, Yuvraj was signed by the Yorkshire County Cricket Club for the 2003 county season. Yuvraj became only the second Indian after Sachin Tendulkar to represent the county.[40][41] Yuvraj's Test debut came on 16 October 2003 at his home ground Mohali against New Zealand. Batting at six, he scored 20 in the first innings, and 5* in the second innings. In the TVS Cup tri-series in October-November 2003 involving India, Australia and New Zealand, Yuvraj scored 113 runs from 7 games at an average of 18.83 and top-score of 44.[42]Yuvraj returned to form in early-2004 in the tri-series involving Australia and Zimbabwe. He scored 314 runs from 8 innings at an average of 39.25, including his second ODI hundred - 139 runs from 122 balls, with 16 fours and two sixes - against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground.[43] Yuvraj had a mixed tour of Pakistan in March-April 2004. He disappointed in the ODI series with 141 runs from 5 matches, averaging just over 28, but found success in the Test series. In the first Test at Multan, Yuvraj scored 59 - his maiden Test fifty - as India registered an innings win. He also picked up his maiden Test wicket during the second innings of Pakistan.[44] In the second Test at Lahore, Yuvraj scored his maiden Test century during India's first innings while the rest of the batting lineup struggled against the bowling of Umar Gul. Yuvraj's innings of 112 came from 129 deliveries with 15 fours and two sixes. He made only 12 runs in the second innings and Pakistan leveled the series by winning the match by 9 wickets.[45] He scored 47 in the final Test at Rawalpindi where India secured the series with another innings victory.[46] However, he lost his form in the latter half of 2004 with batting averages of 31 in the 2004 Asia Cup, 12.33 in the Natwest Series in England and 4.50 in the 2004 ICC Champions Trophy. In October 2004, after the first two Tests of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, he was dropped from the Test squad as his dismal run with the bat yielded just 47 runs from the two matches.20052006: Revival in formDespite the dip in form towards the end of 2004, Yuvraj continued to be a regular feature in the Indian ODI team. In the Platinum Jubilee Match against Pakistan in November 2004, Yuvraj scored a 62-ball 78 in a losing cause.[47] In December 2004, Yuvraj scored 94 runs at an average of 31.33 in the three-match ODI tour of Bangladesh including a blistering knock of 69 from 32 balls in the final ODI at Dhaka.[48] He had a disappointing ODI series at home against Pakistan in April 2005, scoring 98 runs in six matches at 19.60.[49]In July-August 2005, Yuvraj was the leading run-getter for India in the 2005 Indian Oil Cup triangular series in Sri Lanka also involving the hosts Sri Lanka and West Indies. He scored 192 runs in four matches, averaging 48.[50] He also recorded his third ODI century during the series - 110 runs from 114 balls (11 fours and one six) - against West Indies at Colombo for which he was awarded the man of the match.[51] Yuvraj then played in the Videocon Cup in August-September 2005, a triangular series involving India, New Zealand and the hosts Zimbabwe. He averaged 54 with the bat in the series, scoring 216 runs from 5 matches.[52] His innings of 120, in the final round-robin match against Zimbabwe at Harare, helped India recover from a precarious position of 36-4 and successfully chase down the target of 251. It was his fourth ODI hundred and he won the man of the match award for his efforts.[53] In the two-match Test tour of Zimbabwe that followed the tri-series in September, Yuvraj had scores of 12 and 25. In October-November 2005, Yuvraj had a quiet seven-match ODI series at home against Sri Lanka. He managed just 124 runs in six innings at an average of 31 with a top-score of 79*.In November 2005, Yuvraj scored 103 in the first ODI against South Africa at Hyderabad to take India from 35-5 to a respectable total of 249-9. Yuvraj won the man of the match award although South Africa won the game by five wickets.[54] He picked up 1/17 and scored the winning runs in the second ODI at Bangalore, before the third match at Chennai was washed out due to rain. He scored 53 and 49 in the final two matches at Delhi and Ahmedabad respectively, and the series was drawn 2-2. Yuvraj and South African captain Graeme Smith were jointly awarded the man of the series as each of them scored 209 runs at 69.66, finishing as joint-highest run-getters of the series.[55] Yuvraj had a mixed home Test series against Sri Lanka in December 2005 as he registered two ducks and two half-centuries. He scored 0 & 77* in the second Test at Delhi, and 0 & 75 in the third Test at Ahmedabad as India won both the matches by comfortable margins.Yuvraj was picked in both Test and ODI squads for the Pakistan tour in January-February 2006. The first two Tests were drawn in which Yuvraj batted only once, in the second Test, scoring 4. In the third Test at Karachi, Yuvraj top-scored for India in both innings. After scoring 45 in the first innings, he went to score his second Test hundred in the second innings (122 runs from 144 balls). India lost the match by 341 runs and the series 1-0.[56] In the one-day series, he continued to be in sublime form. He scored a 28-ball 39 in the first ODI at Peshawar which Pakistan won by 7 runs by DuckworthLewis method.[57] He scored an unbeaten 82 in the second match at Rawalpindi taking India to an emphatic 7-wicket win,[58] before scoring an unbeaten 79 in the third game at Lahore and helping India successfully chase the target of 289.[59] In the low-scoring fourth match at Multan, Yuvraj scored 37 as India took the series with a five-wicket victory.[60] In the fifth and the final ODI at Karachi, Yuvraj, batting at three, hit his sixth ODI century. His innings of 107* which came off 93 balls with 13 boundaries, helped India comfortably chase down the target of 287 for the loss of only two wickets. He won the man of the match award for this innings and was also adjudged player of the series.[61] Against England, Yuvraj averaged 21.33 in two Tests in March but proved to be successful with both bat and ball in the ODI series in which he again won the player of the series award. During the series, Yuvraj won back-to-back man of the match awards in the third and fourth ODIs. In the third match, he made 103 from 76 balls, and in the fourth match, he picked 2/34 and scored 48. He scored a total of 237 runs in the series at an average of 47.40 and picked up 6 wickets with his part-time bowling.[62]