Yuvraj Singh and Andrew Flintoff (Source – ICC)
On September 19, 2007, legendary all-rounder Yuvraj Singh hit Stuart Broad for six sixes during the high-voltage clash between India and England in the inaugural edition of the T20 World Cup in South Africa. This encounter was played at Kingsmead, Durban in front of a raucous crowd.
After Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag got the Men in Blue off to a fantastic start, England tried to limit the damage at the backend of the first innings. Sehwag, Gambhir, and Robin Uthappa departed in the 15th, 16th, and 17th overs, respectively, as India needed a strong finish. It came in the form of a whirlwind knock from Yuvraj.
The Southpaw hit three boundaries in his first six balls and reacted to 14. This was before he got into an altercation with Andrew Flintoff. After the heated exchange, Yuvraj unleashed his fury on England and Broad bore the brunt of his rage.
The England seamer, who was only 21 years old back then came up to bowl the penultimate over of the innings. Yuvraj didn’t just target the on-side during the onslaught; he also hit sixes over long-off and deep points to disrupt England captain Paul Collingwood’s plans. Broad tried changing his angles and bowling slower deliveries but Yuvraj, who was at the peak of his powers, didn’t have any problem making the boundaries look pedestrian.
Watch the video below:
YUVRAJ SINGH SHOW IN THE T20I WORLD CUP. 🥶
– Yuvraj Singh smashed 6 sixes in an over “OTD in 2007” in the T20I World Cup against Stuart Broad.
One of the Greatest moments ever in Indian Cricket history. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/7JVkPZtap6
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) September 19, 2024
Yuvraj registers the then-fastest T20I half-century
When Yuvraj hit the last delivery of the over for a maximum, he reached his half-century off just 12 balls. This was the fastest T20I half-century back then and he also became only the second cricketer after Herschelle Gibbs to hit six sixes in an over in international cricket.
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Yuvraj was eventually dismissed by Flintoff for a mind-boggling 16-ball 58, helping India set a formidable total of 218/4 in 20 overs. This was after he had smashed Flintoff for a six-over long-off on the previous delivery. The Brits batted well in their reply but were restricted to 200/6 in their 20 overs, giving India an 18-run win.