Yuvraj Singh

Infobox cricketer biography
playername = Yuvraj Singh

---

country = India
fullname =
nickname =
living = true
dayofbirth = 12
monthofbirth = 12
yearofbirth = 1981
placeofbirth = Chandigarh
countryofbirth = India
dayofdeath =
monthofdeath =
yearofdeath =
placeofdeath =
countryofdeath =
heightft =
heightinch =
heightm =
batting = Left-handed
bowling = Slow left arm orthodox
role = All-rounder
family = Yograj Singh (father)

international = true
testdebutdate = 16 October
testdebutyear = 2003
testdebutagainst = New Zealand
testc

lasttestdate = 11 April
lasttestyear = 2008
lasttestagainst = South Africa
odidebutdate = 3 October
odidebutyear = 2000
odidebutagainst = Kenya
odic

lastodidate = 29 August
lastodiyear = 2008
lastodiagainst = Sri Lanka
odishirt =

club1 = Punjab
year1 = 1996/97–present
clubnumber1 =
club2 = Yorkshire
year2 = 2003
clubnumber2 =
club3 = Kings XI Punjab
year3 = 2008–present
clubnumber3 =
club4 =
year4 =
clubnumber4 =

deliveries = balls
columns = 4
column1 = Tests
matches1 = 23
runs1 = 1,050
bat avg1 = 32.81
100s/50s1 = 3/3
top score1 = 169
deliveries1 = 282
wickets1 = 4
bowl avg1 = 41.75
fivefor1 = 0
tenfor1 = 0
best bowling1 = 2/9
catches/stumpings1 = 24/–
column2 = ODIs
matches2 = 217
runs2 = 6,141
bat avg2 = 35.91
100s/50s2 = 8/37
top score2 = 139
deliveries2 = 2,872
wickets2 = 59
bowl avg2 = 41.61
fivefor2 = 0
tenfor2 = n/a
best bowling2 = 4/6
catches/stumpings2 = 66/–
column3 = FC
matches3 = 78
runs3 = 4,778
bat avg3 = 43.43
100s/50s3 = 16/20
top score3 = 209
deliveries3 = 1,278
wickets3 = 14
bowl avg3 = 49.07
fivefor3 = 0
tenfor3 = 0
best bowling3 = 3/25
catches/stumpings3 = 82/–
column4 = List A
matches4 = 281
runs4 = 8,270
bat avg4 = 37.42
100s/50s4 = 12/50
top score4 = 172
deliveries4 = 3,791
wickets4 = 90
bowl avg4 = 35.73
fivefor4 = 0
tenfor4 = n/a
best bowling4 = 4/6
catches/stumpings4 = 87/–

date = 11 October
year = 2008
source = http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/7/7681/7681.html CricketArchive

Yuvraj Singh audio|Yuvraj_Singh.ogg|pronunciation ( _pa. ਯੁਵਰਾਜ ਸਿੰਘ, born 12 December 1981 in Chandigarh, India) is a cricketer from India, and the son of former Indian fast bowler and Punjabi movie star Yograj Singh. [cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1127958/bio| title = Yograj Singh|publisher=IMDB|accessdate=2007-02-05] He has been a member of the Indian cricket team since 2000 (ODIs) and played his first Test match in 2003. He is the current vice captain of the ODI team. At the 2007 World Twenty20 he hit six sixes in an over against England's Stuart Broad - a feat only performed three times previously in any form of senior cricket, and never previously in an international match between two Test cricket nations.

Early career

Yuvraj first came to attention when he captained the U-19 Punjab cricket team in the final of the Cooch-Behar Trophy against Bihar U-19s, in which he scored 358. [http://www.icc-cricket.com/india/content/story/79062.html] He then gained selection for the U-19 World Cup in Sri Lanka in January 2000, where he was part of a team lead by Mohammed Kaif which won the tournament. [cite news| title = Indian youth bring World Cup to India| url = http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/ci/content/story/88206.html| first = Anand| last = Vasu | publisher = Cricinfo |date = 2000-01-28 |accessdate = 2007-02-05] Yuvraj was subsequently selected in 2000 for the first intake of the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore. [cite news|first = Partab| last = Ramchand| title= First list of NCA trainees| url = http://feedsuk.cricinfo.com/link_to_database/ARCHIVE/CRICKET_NEWS/2000/APR/029816_CI_15APR2000.html|publisher = Cricinfo| date = 2000-04-15| accessdate = 2007-02-08]

ODI career

Yuvraj made his One Day International debut against Kenya at Nairobi in 2000, at the ICC KnockOut Trophy. He showed his potential in his second ODI which was against the Australians where he scored a quickfire 84 off 82 balls against a quality pace attack consisting of bowlers like Glenn McGrath, Brett Lee and Jason Gillespie. [cite web|title = Aussies sunk by inspired India| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/cricket/961034.stm | publisher=BBC|date = 2000-10-07| accessdate= 2007-02-05] However, after a lean run of form, he was dropped for the one-dayers against Australia in India in early 2001, [cite news|title = Harbhajan handed one day recall| url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/in_depth/2001/india_v_australia/1228420.stm| date = 2001-03-28| publisher = BBC | accessdate = 2007-02-07] but returned later in the year and helped India to victory in a match in Sri Lanka with an unbeaten 98. [cite news|title = Yuvraj stars for India with match winning knock| url =http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/ci/content/story/95752.html | first = Charlie |last =Austin| publisher= Cricinfo | date = 2001-08-01 |accessdate =2007-02-05]

One of his most memorable innings was a partnership with Mohammad Kaif in the NatWest Series final against England in July 2002 which led India to victory. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/cricket/england/2126684.stm BBC SPORT | Cricket | England | Hero Kaif takes India home ] ] He was selected and represented India at the 2003 Cricket World Cup. He scored his first century in his fourth season with the Indian team against Bangladesh in 2003. After that he also scored hundreds against Zimbabwe and Australia, including a 139 off 119 balls at the Sydney Cricket Ground. [http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/ci/content/story/132882.html Cricinfo - Gearing up without Ganguly ] ] In the Indian Oil Cup 2005, he made 110 (off 114 balls) (his third century) and an important partnership worth 165 runs with Mohammad Kaif, to become the man of the match against West Indies in the last match of the round robin league. After reaching his century, he attracted attention by angry gesticulations to the Indian dressing room, which was postulated to be due to his clashes with team management - Greg Chappell had been appointed as the new Indian coach and he had criticised Yuvraj. [http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/ci/content/story/249085.html Cricinfo - Born again ] ] He later praised Chappell's techniques. [ [http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/ci/content/story/221149.html Cricinfo - Yuvraj backs Chappell's methods ] ] Yuvraj has had a recent (late 2005 to early 2006) run of good form in the ODI format of the game. He was named as the man of the series in three consecutive series, against South Africa (joint with Graeme Smith), [ [http://usa.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/2005-06/RSA_IN_IND/SCORECARDS/RSA_IND_ODI5_28NOV2005.htm] Dead link|date=March 2008] and then against Pakistan and England, in which he scored three centuries and four half-centuries in fifteen matches, which propelled him into the top ten of the ICC ODI batting rankings. During the Pakistan tour, at times when captain and vice-captain Rahul Dravid and Virender Sehwag were absent, Yuvraj was the on-field captain, indicating that he may be seen as a potential captain. In the next series in the West Indies, Yuvraj hit two fifties in four games, even though India lost the series 4-1. His performance was recognised with his shortlisting by the ICC as one of four nominees for the Internation One Day player of the year award.

Yuvraj missed the first game in the series after that, the tri-series against Australia and West Indies in Kuala Lumpur, due to illness and after failing to reach double figures in the following two games, was axed for Mohammed Kaif in the last group match. He showed signs of returning to form in the Champions Trophy, hitting a restrained unbeaten 27 to guide India to victory against England in the opening game after he was recalled in place of Kaif, but a knee injury forced him out of the final group match. He subsequently missed the tour of South Africa and was in doubt for the 2007 Cricket World Cup, but made a faster than expected recovery to play in the ODI series against the West Indies in India in January 2007. He struck a fluent 95* from 83 balls in India's final match against Sri Lanka before heading to the World Cup.

At the World Cup, Yuvraj only managed one fifty against a lowly Bermuda and along with rest of the squad, was criticized for India's first-round exit. Nevertheless, Yuvraj kept his place in the side for the tours of Bangladesh and Ireland in 2007.

In September 2007, he was named as the ODI vice captain of Mahendra Singh Dhoni after the resignation of Rahul Dravid. He then scored 121 in a losing cause during India's One-day International series defeat at the hands of Australia before enjoying a return to form as India beat Pakistan 3-2 on home soil in November 2007 and he was named Man of the series. In the five matches, he scored four half-centuries, although he was fined after showing dissent in the final match in Jaipur. [ [http://www.cricketworld.com/pakistan_in_india/article/?aid=13891 Yuvraj Singh Fined For Dissent After Jaipur Match] , Cricket World, Retrieved on 19 November 2007]

Test career

Yuvraj made his Test debut against New Zealand in Mohali in late 2003 in front of his home crowd in Punjab due to the absence of regular captain Sourav Ganguly in the No. 6 position. He was omitted upon Ganguly's return but got another opportunity in the Test team in the 2004 Tour to Pakistan, when Ganguly was again injured. He scored his first Test century in a losing effort against Pakistan in the second Test at Lahore. When Ganguly returned for the third Test, Akash Chopra was dropped and it appeared that the Indian selectors wanted to give him a regular place in the team. He was subsequently played as Virender Sehwag's opening partner, but after two poor matches in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia, [ [http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/ci/content/story/142778.html Cricinfo - Singh hits a low note ] ] he was dropped in favour of Gautam Gambhir. He was recalled to the Test team, batting in the No. 6 position for the away series against Zimbabwe in August 2005 after Sachin Tendulkar was sidelined with tennis elbow. He then retained his position in the Test team after Ganguly was axed following a row with coach Greg Chappell. He scored a second Test century in the third and final Test in Pakistan in the series in January 2006, which India again lost. However, Yuvraj has struggled subsequently in 2006, failing to pass 50 in six Tests against England (two, both at home) and the West Indies (four, all away from home). His injury in late 2006 allowed the return of former captain Ganguly to the team, who subsequently top-scored in the series.

Yuvraj was included in India's Test squad to face Pakistan in November 2007, but was not included in the playing 11 for the first test. Yuvraj was picked in the 3rd Test due to an injured Sachin Tendulkar. India were 61/4 before he and Sourav Ganguly made a 300 run partnership with Yuvraj recording his highest Test score of 169.

Twenty20 career

On 19 September 2007 against England in the ICC World Twenty20 Super 8 match held at Kingsmead in Durban, he hit 6 sixes off one Stuart Broad over. This helped him to reach the fastest fifty ever in Twenty20 game, off just 12 balls and also the fastest in any form of international cricket. [ [http://stats.cricinfo.com/ci/content/records/305877.html Twenty20 matches-Fastest fifties] ] [ [http://stats.cricinfo.com/ci/content/records/284095.html One-Day Internationals-Fastest fifties] ] [ [http://stats.cricinfo.com/ci/content/records/284096.html Test matches-Fastest fifties] ] This was the fourth time that six sixes had been hit in one over in senior cricket, the first time in Twenty20 cricket, and the first time in any form of international cricket against a bowler from a test playing nation. (Garfield Sobers and Ravi Shastri did it in first class matches, and Herschelle Gibbs did it in a 2007 Cricket World Cup match against Dutch bowler Daan van Bunge.) He has also hit the longest six of the tournament:119 meters off of Australian bowler Brett Lee and currently is the world's leading 20-20 batsman in terms of strike rate. [cite web|url=http://stats.cricinfo.com/records/content/records/282920.html|title=Twenty20 Internationals - Highest career strike rate|accessdate=2008-06-17] .Yuvraj was awarded a Porsche 911 car for his 6 sixes achievement by the Vice President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Yuvraj also received Rs.10,000,000 (US$252,716) in cash from the BCCI for his splendid performance in the tournament. [ [http://www.newstrackindia.com/newsdetails/1007 World Champions arrives, Mumbai comes to standstill] ]

Yuvraj also scored 70 runs off 30 balls and went on to claim the Man of the Match against Australia in the World Twenty20 semifinals at Durban. [http://sify.com/news/fullstory.php?id=14531778]

He is the icon player for Indian Premier League team Kings XI Punjab.

Recent form

He had a very poor Test series against Australia in Indian tour to that country in 2007–08. After his poor showing in the first two Tests he was dropped for the remainder of the series.He also had a poor tri series in Australia barring one match where he scored a 76.

Style

Yuvraj is primarily a left-handed batsman but can bowl part-time left-arm orthodox spin. He is regarded as being better at batting against fast bowling than spin bowling, and cites the Indian Oil Cup 2005 as a turning point in his career. [cite web| first= Anand| last= Vasu| title= Born again| url=http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/ci/content/story/249085.html| accessdate = 2007-02-05|publisher= Cricinfo] He is one of the better fielders in the Indian team, fielding primarily at point, with a good aim at the stumps. A Cricinfo report published in late 2005 showed that since 1999, he was the fourth most prolific fielder in effecting ODI run outs, and of those on the list of prolific fielders, he had the second highest rate of effecting a run out. [cite web| title = Statistics - Run outs in ODIs | last = Basevi| first = Trevor| url=http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/ci/content/story/224487.html| date= 2005-11-08| accessdate = 2007-02-05| publisher Cricinfo] He was previously often characterized as having attitude problems, [cite web|title= Yuvraj speaks highly of Sourav's support| url= http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/ci/content/story/105607.html| publisher= Cricinfo| date = 2001-03-28| accessdate = 2007-02-05] but later often assumed leadership positions during Rahul Dravid's tenure as captain.

Test Centuries

County cricket

After the 2003 Cricket World Cup, Yuvraj was signed by Yorkshire, becoming only the second Indian after Tendulkar to represent the county. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/cricket/2941719.stm] However, he had a disappointing run, scoring less than 200 runs in either form of the game, [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/cricket/3198945.stm] but described it as an important learning experience.

Commercial interests

Yuvraj was signed by Microsoft to be a brand ambassador for the Xbox 360 video game console when it was launched in India in 2006. He appeared in advertisements for the console alongside Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar. Codemasters' cricket video game "Brian Lara International Cricket 2007", was released with his endorsement in India, titled "Yuvraj Singh International Cricket 2007" [http://www.xbox.com/hi-IN/games/y/yuvrajsinghinternationalcricket2007/]

References

External links

*cricinfo|ref=india/content/player/36084.html
*Cricketarchive|ref=Archive/Players/7/7681/7681.html

Persondata
NAME = Yuvraj, Singh
ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
SHORT DESCRIPTION = Indian cricketer
DATE OF BIRTH = December 12, 1981
PLACE OF BIRTH = Chandigarh
DATE OF DEATH =
PLACE OF DEATH =