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Yuvraj Singh’s Epic Six Sixes: The Day He Made England Pay For Flintoff's 'Mistake'

Yuvraj Singh [X]Yuvraj Singh [X]

Yuvraj Singh is one of the most esteemed names in Indian cricket. Especially in white-ball cricket, he can be considered one of the greatest in the world. Besides his flamboyant batting style, Yuvraj Singh was often known for his flare on the field. Moments of unworldly brilliance, giving it back to the opposition, and a never-say-die attitude signified Yuvi’s presence on the field.

One of the defining moments of Yuvraj Singh's career unfolded on 19th September 2007. The Indian team, led by MS Dhoni, faced England in a Super Eight match of the inaugural T20 World Cup at Durban. This match would go down in history for its impact on Yuvraj Singh's career.

India’s Strong Start

The MS Dhoni-led Indian team batted first in this game. Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag got India off to a brilliant start, stitching a partnership of 136 runs in 14.4 overs. But after this, there was a bit of a drop in the momentum for India as they lost their openers in quick succession, and Robin Uthappa also followed with much progress on the scoreboard.

Yuvraj Singh Enters the Fray

Robin Uthappa’s departure brought the dangerous Southpaw to the crease. In the 18th over, Yuvraj slammed the English all-rounder, Andrew Flintoff, for a couple of fours, which seemed to have irked the player. After the over, Flintoff was seen engaging in a heated conversation with Yuvraj. No one knows what was said, but it was clear that Yuvraj was not pleased. He took his frustration out on a young Stuart Broad.

The Historic Over: Six Sixes

Yuvraj's fury was unleashed in the 19th over, where he hit six sixes off Stuart Broad. The ball was sent to all corners of the ground, leaving the bowler helpless and disarmed. It was as if Flintoff’s words had ignited a fire within Yuvi, and he was unstoppable. The look he gave Freddie, standing at fine leg after each delivery, is etched in the memory of every Indian cricket fan who witnessed it live.

A Record-Breaking Performance

This was the second instance in international cricket when six sixes were hit in an over. The South African batter, Herschelle Gibbs, did it first in an ODI game against the Netherlands. Courtesy of those sixes, Yuvi brought up his half-century in just 12 deliveries, which stood as the fastest fifty in T20Is for about 16 years before Dipendra Singh Airee of Nepal broke it in 2023.

Match Summary and Impact

Coming back to the game, Yuvraj’s innings helped India post a formidable total of 218/4 in their 20 overs. In reply, England put in a valiant effort, but they could reach only 200/6 in their 20 overs and lost the game by 18 runs. This win for India nearly sealed their berth in the tournament's semi-finals. Well, the rest is history and is in the scope of another article to discuss, but this knock by Yuvraj Singh will be remembered as one of the greatest by an Indian in T20Is and the T20 World Cups.