It has been a roller-coaster ride, one which has seen him kicked out as captain, survive cancer, and win the IPL trophy. Yuvraj Singh hasn't exactly been the star of brand IPL, but he has been one of its biggest stars, undergoing a number of emotions en route the ultimate glory: winning the title. He changed teams, played with numerous teammates, saw his form go through the deepest of trenches, but his strong resolve kept him going.
Also read: Virat Kohli in IPL through the years: The transformation in picturesHere’s a look at how he has changed over the course of the last ten years:
2008 - Leads Punjab into the semifinals
One of the five icon players in the first season of the IPL, Yuvraj Singh, at 26, was the youngest to receive the honour. Personally, however, he did not have a great season with the bat, scoring 299 runs at an average of 23.
The team had one of the stronger foreign contingents and reached the semifinals, where they lost to the Chennai Super Kings.
2009 - Kings show promise, come a cropper
Australian players, their strongest point in the first edition, were unavailable for the tournament the second time around, which was a big hit to their campaign chances. They lost their last group game to the Chennai Superkings and failed to qualify for the playoffs.
Yuvraj had a better year as a batsman, scoring 340 runs with two fifties to his name, but the exploits of the World T20 last year could not be repeated in his IPL form.
2010 - Poor form and attitude raise questions
The importance of Yuvraj Singh for the Punjab team was clearly highlighted when he had a poor season with the bat, and the team languished at the bottom of the points table. The return of Brett Lee had little bearing on their fortunes, as they lost a total of ten matches and were at the bottom of the points table . Yuvraj was blamed for his poor form and attitude in the 3rd edition, as was replaced by Kumar Sangakkara as captain.
2011 - New team, old fortunes
Named captain of the new IPL team, the Sahara Pune Warriors India, Yuvraj could not galvanise the new side in their inaugural season, captaining them to a penultimate position finish. As a batsman, he carried a part of his form from the 2011 World Cup, where he was the player of the tournament, scoring 343 runs at an average of 34.3.
2012 - Cancer breaks hearts, but not resolve
The heartbreaking story of a young man’s career being affected by cancer broke many hearts, but not this man’s resolve. Yuvraj was afflicted by a rare germ cell cancer in 2011 and was going through chemotherapy and rehabilitation when IPL 2012 took place.
He gave his teammates a surprise by visiting one of the practice sessions, much to the cheer of fans and the players. He even took a few knocks in the nets.
2013 - Grand comeback, poor form
He was welcomed into the Pune fold after completing his rehabilitation, but the Yuvraj of old was not able to repeat his heroics for the franchise, with his average dropping below 20 in the season. He couldn’t manage a single 50+ score that season.
2014 - The king of good times
Yuvraj was bought for a whopping Rs. 14 crores by the Royal Challengers Bangalore, with the motive of using his all-round firepower to the optimum in the middle order. He scored two thunderous knocks: one a 63 off 29 balls against the Delhi Daredevils, and an 83 off just 38 balls, also scalping 4 wickets in the same game.
However, the team could not fare well, finishing seventh in the points table.
2015 - Jackpot in the auctions, damp squib in the IPL
One of the most expensive bids in the IPL saw Yuvraj being sold to the Delhi team for a mind boggling Rs. 16 crores, with the team management going for a complete overhaul. It turned out to be a poor decision, for Yuvraj flopped completely with the bat, perhaps feeling the pressure of the massive amount invested on him. He made 248 runs at 19.07, and the Daredevils ended seventh in the points table.
2016 - The long wait ends
With the Sunrisers Hyderabad, Yuvraj finally managed to achieve the coveted IPL title, becoming the select few players to win the World T20, the World Cup and the IPL. With the bat, he scored 236 runs at an average of 26.22, at a healthy strike rate of 132, after having missed out on the initial leg due to injury.
2017 - Still going strong
The year has turned out to be a memorable one where Yuvraj has rolled back the years: he scored his ODI best score after making a surprise comeback in the Indian colours and also sealed a Champions Trophy berth by providing solidity in the middle order.
The Hyderabad side qualified for the playoffs, with Yuvraj showing some of his vintage best in a couple of fifty plus scores for the side.
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