Cuttack: If cricket has a place for romance, then Yuvraj Singh has solid credentials to play the lead. He was huffing and puffing as he scored a match-winning ton against West Indies in Chennai during the World Cup 2011.
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Six years and many comebacks later, Yuvraj Singh was emotional, thumping his chest, albeit gently, and waving his bat towards the dressing room after bringing up his 14th ODI ton and the first after six years.
Six years is a long time. Sportsperson’s careers begin and end during that period, at times. Some go astray, some lose their mojo, some get injured, some just get sidelined from selection. Not Yuvraj though – India’s eternal comeback man.
The man was written off, saying he has done a wonderful job for Indian cricket but his time is up. His struggle in the ICC World Twenty20 2016 and in tournaments prior to that did not help the matters either.
Then, he went back to play Ranji Trophy for Punjab with a very bleak hope of earning a comeback call. He scored 672 runs in five games before taking a break for his marriage preparations with Bollywood actress Hazel Keech. While his class, passion and run-scoring ability was never in doubt, it was said it would be too difficult for him to replicate his form in domestic circuit when he faces the international sides.
He was given a due chance; the chairman of selectors MSK Prasad had said; while answering queries about why Yuvraj, as India were to commence a new era under Virat Kohli’s captaincy, was picked ahead of many youngsters for the ODI and T20 series against England.
Although he scored a quickfire 50 in the first warm-up game against England, score of 15 in the first ODI in Pune. But then, Yuvraj, who has this uncanny knack of upping his game when it is needed the most, turned the clock back one more time to bring up his highest ever ODI score. Giving him company was someone with whom Yuvraj shares a brilliant on-field chemistry – MS Dhoni. As Dhoni recently said, "What does not kill you makes you stronger" and Yuvraj, perhaps is the best example of that.
