This day in 2007 | A historic Yuvraj Singh innings and those six sixes

The year was 2007, and the first half of the year did not turn out to be fruitful for India as they made an early exit from the ODI World Cup in the group stages. Disappointment, rage, and anger towards the Indian team and players were at its peak among the Indian fans due to their national team’s dismal performance in the World Cup. But little did anyone know that a team that had performed so poorly at the beginning of the year would go on to create history towards the later part of the year by claiming the inaugural World T20 Title.

It looked like just another experiment from the BCCI and everyone—from the pundits to the fans—was convinced that yet another disaster is on the cards. But, what followed afterward in the tournament gave the nation of a billion people memories to cherish for a lifetime. India, against all the odds, lifted the World T20 trophy and scripted a perfect underdog story that keeps inspiriting the nation even today. Yuvraj Singh’s six sixes in an over off Stuart Broad at the Kingsmead in Durban was the main highlight of this story, and Yuvraj was the protagonist in it.

A couple of deliveries were left in Tremlett’s over as Yuvraj walked out to bat. The tall and strongly built bowler welcomed Yuvraj with a short pitched delivery on the off stump at a good pace. Tremlett taunted Yuvraj and he took on the challenge thrown at him. The very next delivery Yuvraj made room for himself and drove it uppishly over the covers for a boundary. Andrew Flintoff came on to bowl the next over and he was the one who provided the spark to the wildfire that was to follow in the next. Yuvraj struck Flintoff for a couple of sweetly timed boundaries on the fourth and fifth deliveries of the over and heated arguments started between the two. Flintoff had no idea what he had started as Yuvraj channeled the anger in the right direction to produce one of the best innings that the world had ever witnessed in T20 cricket.

India were on 171/3 at the start of the 19th over from Stuart Broad with Yuvraj and Dhoni were unbeaten on 14(6) and 7(6) respectively. The first ball of the over bowled on a good length went flying over deep mid-wicket for a massive six. Young Broad looked under pressure straight away as Yuvraj flicked the second delivery of the over for another six over backward square leg. Now, Broad and skipper Collingwood had a brief discussion after which Broad went on to bowl the third delivery. This time, it was bowled full just outside off; Yuvraj cleared his left leg and smashed him straight over deep extra cover for another huge six. Broad didn’t take much longer to bowl the next delivery. This time, he ended up bowling a wide full toss that Yuvraj timed sweetly over point for the same result.

It was the last ball of the penultimate over, and the crowd was on their toes, England were under pressure, and Broad pitched it on good length as Yuvraj stroked it for the sixth consecutive six over mid-on to create a world record, along with the feat of scoring the fastest T20 fifty in 12 ball. Flintoff was given the charge to bowl the final over. Dhoni was on strike, and he reverse swept it for just a single. Yuvraj was back on strike, and Flintoff, without saying a word, went straight back to his bowling mark. Flintoff bowled a wide full toss the second time, and Yuvraj left it assuming it would be called a wide, but the umpire did not respond. The two had a brief chat again but it didn’t last long this time. The next delivery was clipped into the legside for a couple of runs. And on the fourth delivery, Yuvraj launched yet another Six; this time over long off. The penultimate delivery and Flintoff bowls a full toss. Yuvraj flat-batted it straight to the hands of Collingwood at long on. Although Flintoff had the last laugh, the damage had been done by then- 58 off just 16 balls comprising off three fours and seven scintillating sixes! Ravi Shastri, who was commentating on that match, summed up Yuvraj’s innings perfectly: “He came in like thunder and goes like lightning!”