IPL stats: Top records by Yuvraj Singh in IPL history!

Team India's 2007 ICC T20 World Cup and 2011 ICC cricket World Cup winning hero Yuvraj Singh has been one of the hottest properties in the history of the lucrative Indian Premier League since its inception back in 2008. From being the face of the Kings XI Punjab (marquee player) franchise at the inaugural edition to becoming the most expensive auction buy, Yuvraj has ruled over the IPL on and off the field.

He has so far represented five different franchises in the IPL - Kings XI Punjab, Pune Warriors India, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Delhi Daredevils and Sunrisers Hyderabad. This year though, he will be playing for his sixth IPL franchise - three-time winners Mumbai Indians after being bought at his base price of INR INR 1 crore at the auction. Let us now look at top IPL records that Yuvraj Singh holds in the history of the league!

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1) Only player to have taken two hat-tricks in an IPL season

Yuvraj celebrates his hat-trick with teammates

Yuvraj has proved his bowling credentials time and again in the limited overs, providing major breakthroughs at crucial junctures. The man who finished India's victorious 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup campaign with 15 wickets, has 36 IPL wickets to his name at an economy of 7.43 with his best figures being 4/29. Known for his big-hitting abilities, Yuvraj holds a special place when it comes to the IPL hat-tricks. Back in 2009 during the second season of the cash-rich league at South Africa, Singh became the first ever player to take two hat-tricks in the history of IPL.

Yuvraj took both the took both the hat-tricks in the same season (2009) and still holds the record to be the only player to have taken two hat-tricks in a single edition of the IPL. In one of the games against the Royal Challengers Bangalore at Durban during season two, Yuvraj who was playing for Kings XI Punjab dismissed Robin Uthappa, Jacques Kallis and Mark Boucher to claim his first IPL hat-trick. He followed it up with another hat-trick against the now-defunct Deccan Chargers at Johannesburg, dismissing Herschelle Gibbs, Andrew Symonds and Venugopal Rao thereby claiming his second IPL hat-trick (both in season two). Amith Mishra holds the record for most number of IPL hat-tricks- three.

2) The most expensive player in the history of IPL auction

Yuvraj- the undisputed King of IPL auction

Yuvraj, who has never failed to grab the headlines at the IPL auctions is the undisputed king of the highly intensive auction. After his stints with Kings XI Punjab (2008-2010) and the now-defunct Pune Warriors India (2011-2013), he was bought by the Royal Challengers Bangalore for a record INR 14 crore during the 2014 IPL auction. His price of INR 14 crore was the highest ever bid made at the IPL auction back then.

In spite of scoring 376 runs apart from picking up five wickets, Yuvraj was released by RCB ahead of the 2015 IPL auction where he was bought by the Delhi Daredevils for a staggering INR 16 crore. This whopping bid made by Delhi to secure his service remains to be the highest ever bid in the twelve-year history of IPL auction.

3) Highest partnership for the fourth wicket in the history of IPL

Yuvraj shared a record 132-run fourth wicket partnership with AB de Villiers in the 2014 IPL

Yuvraj Singh, who was bought by the Royal Challengers Bangalore for a whopping INR 14 crore at the 2014 IPL auction, was involved in a record 132-run fourth-wicket partnership along with AB de Villiers against Rajasthan Royals in one of the league games during season seven at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. Batting first, RCB were struggling at 40-3 in 8.1 overs before de Villiers and Yuvraj came together at the crease. The duo added 132 runs for the fourth wicket, smashing the hapless Rajasthan bowlers all over the park.

Courtesy of their swash-buckling partnership, the Royal Challengers posted 190-5 in 20 overs. While AB de Villiers scored 58(32), Yuvraj amassed 83 off just 38 balls that included seven fours and seven sixes. The southpaq excelled equally with the and bat finished with figures of 4/35. Unfortunately, his side lost the game by five wickets. Nevertheless, his 132-run partnership with AB de Villiers remains the highest ever fourth-wicket partnership in the history of IPL till date!

4) First ever player to score a half-century for five different IPL franchises

Yuvraj, who won his only IPL with Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2016, became the first ever player to score half-centuries for five different franchises

Yuvraj, who began his IPL career with the Kings XI Punjab registered three half-centuries during his three-year stint (2008-2010) at Punjab. In 2011, he moved to one of the two new franchises- Pune Warriors India and stayed with them until the 2013 IPL (did not feature in the 2012 IPL) amassing two half-centuries during his stay with the now defunct Pune outfit. The southpaw moved to RCB after being bought by Virat Kohli's men for a record INR 14 crore at the 2014 IPL auction. In his only season for Bangalore, he scored three half-centuries with his highest score being 83.

After his record INR 16 crore-move to Delhi Daredevils in the following season, he scored two half-centuries managing 248 runs in season eight. Yuvraj, who moved to Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2016 won his first ever IPL title that season and recorded two half-centuries for the men in orange in the 2017 IPL. After his two-year stint with David Warner's men, he returned to Kings XI Punjab in 2018. Having scored half-centuries for Kings XI Punjab, Pune Warriors India, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Delhi Daredevils and Sunrisers Hyderabad, Yuvraj became the first ever player to achieve this feat back in 2017.