Can Yuvraj Singh win India yet another ICC Trophy? A resounding yes, after his century

Comebacks are always spellbinding. There is, inarguably – on the 22 yards, at least, no better love story than one of perseverance till a point of psychological redemption. The King of comebacks, Yuvraj Singh, has made many grand returns – both in the sport and in life. But the 150 that he made against England in Cuttack, as Yuvraj himself said post match, is “probably the best innings of my (his) career.”

This was not the first time he played a decisive knock; neither did it look like his last. Yet, it had been a while since we saw the Yuvraj of old – the man without whom two World Cup trophies might just have remained a distant dream. And the fact that he was running out of time makes the 35-year old's comeback even sweeter.

Think back to The ICC World T20 2014 final in Dhaka; the game which marked the nadir of Yuvraj’s career. For a cricket fan, the sight was painful – the champion failing on the big day. Yuvraj was made the scapegoat of the loss and it was widely opined that it was the last of jersey no. 12 in the blue of India.

But this cricketing counterpart of Thomas Edison lives true to his character – he never gives up. Perhaps because he belonged to the Sourav Ganguly-led era – the one where players knew how to tackle a task with determination. And thus he responded, and responded in style.

Yuvraj Singh unleashed his vintage self upon the Englishmen on his way to a sensational 150 – lusty pull shots, crunching cover-drives and those out-of-the-park sixes. During the innings came a shot – Yuvraj’s 150th ODI six – which set the clock on a quick rewind. Ben Stokes bowled a full delivery outside the off-stump, and the southpaw quickly moved into position and executed an effortless loft over extra cover.

Yuvraj scored his first century since 2011 (Image Courtesy: http://latestnews.nz/)

He left the willow dangling for less than a couple of seconds, but it seemed like minutes or even hours. And once he connected, the ball travelled just like it had ten years ago in Kingsmead, not once but six times in a row. The way he ran with long-time companion MS Dhoni during their partnership was further evidence that the left-hander is well and truly back.

Amidst all the chaos in the world, Yuvraj’s newfound rhythm brought along with it supreme pleasure, and left the fans asking for more.

At 35, can Yuvraj still be instrumental in winning India yet another ICC trophy?

With Suresh Raina out of the mix for a while and the selectors seeking experience in the ODI and T20 teams, Yuvraj, who had a terrific domestic 2016-17 season, was an obvious choice to turn to. Several questions surfaced over his fitness, but the warm-up match against England XI at the Cricket Club of India in Mumbai eliminated all doubts. Despite Rohit Sharma’s absence, and a yet-to-be-seen big partnership between KL Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan, the top-order still carries with it a destructive look.

The only concern for Kohli was India’s rather soft look in the middle, with Dhoni being the only piece at the right spot in a jigsaw puzzle. But now, with Yuvraj in form and India's new hero, Kedar Jadhav finding his feet at the international level, it seems as if the pieces are falling in their right places.

In the bowling department, Bhuvaneshwar Kumar and Umesh Yadav are perfectly complementing spin duo Ravindra Jadeja and R Ashwin – the team of perfect partnerships is at its peak. If Yuvraj can score a century even after six years from his last international ton, it won't be a big task for him to translate his latest feat in the not-so-far-away Champions Trophy.

As a fielder, he can be rightly called the equivalent of Jonty Rhodes and Herschelle Gibbs. Yuvraj is one of those rare fielders who can turn cold-blooded boundary hits into catches or save runs. He belongs to a distinct category of fieldsmen who are brilliant in both ground and air fielding.

Virat Kohli has shown confidence in Yuvraj’s ability and has been rewarded handsomely

The Yuvraj of 2017 is a cricketer who has the experience and the knowledge of 293 ODIS and 55 T20Is, and Indian Premier League matches – an asset needed in a team with a young core. Players like KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah et al would love to have someone as experienced as the southpaw around them.

Above all, he is the man who fought cancer to return and dispatch Saeed Ajmal for three sixes. He is the man who won us the 2007 and 2011 World Cup. With Virat Kohli in the best of form, Dhoni relieved of the captaincy pressure, and Yuvraj staging such a grand comeback, there is no stopping this team India from winning the Champions Trophy