Friday, 25 April 2025
Friday, 25 April 2025
On Sunday, when India Masters and West Indies Masters battled for supremacy, Yuvraj Singh got into a battle of his own with Tino Best. What transpired was for everyone to see - after Tino Best finished his over and walked out of the field, Yuvraj objected and then followed verbal bouncers and toe-crushers. Then, it took a legend to stop one from spitting fire – Brian Lara intervened and Yuvraj calmed down.
Yuvraj and nerves haven’t been the best of friends. Taking a cue from the India Masters showdown, we look back to the times when the southpaw didn’t leave an altercation unfinished.
Yuvraj Singh vs Umar Gul
During the 2006 Hutch Cup between India and Pakistan, Umar Gul and Yuvraj Singh were on the verge of tearing each other apart. Well…almost. With “captain cool” Dhoni at the other end, Yuvraj could afford to lose his temper.
Shoulders were far from rubbing each other when Gul and Yuvraj walked past each other. Had another cool contender – Inzamam-Ul-Haq – not intervened, things would’ve reached a boiling point.
Yuvraj Singh vs Dale Styen
It takes a Yuvraj Singh to silence a “Steyn gun”.
During one of India’s encounters versus South Africa, Yuvraj whipped Steyn for a boundary through mid-on, and that left the Protea quick fuming.
Steyn then followed it up with a bouncer. And then, Yuvraj was not one to mince words. The altercation continued till Sourav Ganguly stepped in.
Yuvraj Singh vs Andrew Flintoff
If humbling someone with six massive sixes was the assignment, Yuvraj Singh would come up with flying colours. Just ask a red-faced Andrew Flintoff.
While slapping a wet-behind-the-ears Stuart Broad for six maximums in Durban, In the interviews that followed, Yuvraj admitted that he was keen to avenge what Dimitri Mascarenhas had done the same year. Wondering what triggered Yuvi? He heard Fintoff say ‘I will cut your throat off’ right in the middle of their heated exchange.
Yuvraj Singh vs Brad Hogg
Why bother Yuvraj Singh when he’s walking out to bat? That’s what Brad Hogg should have asked himself before he told Yuvraj, “Ho ho, let's see you hit six sixes today big Yuvi”. Yuvraj didn’t take this sitting down. He might have not smashed six maximums but ensured his 57* stood firm between India and Australia in the quarterfinals of the 2011 ODI World Cup in Ahmedabad.
Bad habits die hard as far as Australians are concerned. In the 2014 T20 World Cup, Doug Bollinger stared him down and Yuvraj, once again, let his bat do all the talking.
Yuvraj Singh vs Shahid Afridi
The last time Pakistan visited India for a bilateral series was back in 2012-2013. In the Ahmedabad match, Shahid Afridi did a mock throw at Yuvraj, who had not even made an attempt for a run. Almost never one to throw the first punch, Yuvraj again took it on himself to give India the vantage point with 72-off-36, striking at 200. India eventually won the match by 10 runs.
Ongoing saga – Yuvraj vs KP
Banter, rivalry, we aren’t sure how to define this yet. Today they are the best of buddies, who often play golf together, but back in the day, Kevin Pietersen would call Yuvraj a “rubbish bowler” and also termed him “the pie chucker.” Yuvraj replied saying, “Maybe it’s hard for him because he cannot face me, he doesn’t like getting out to someone whom he doesn’t rate as a bowler.” In his entire career, Kevin Pietersen never managed to take down Yuvraj as a bowler but instead played him with great precautions and no attacking intent.
