I didn't sleep whole night before my debut innings: Yuvraj Singh

In a candid conversation on Home of Heroes, Sports18’s newest offering, former India cricketer Yuvraj Singh recalls the prank skipper Sourav Ganguly played on him just a night before his debut innings at the 2000 ICC Knockout tournament. Captain asked the 18-year-old if he would open in the all-important match the next day. “Yeah, if you want me to open, I’ll open,” remembers Yuvraj telling his skipper. “Whole night I didn’t sleep.” On the morning of the match, the captain confessed to pulling a fast one and opened the innings himself. India reached 265 powered by a stroke-filled 84 from Yuvraj. Luckily, I went on to score 84, says Yuvraj “I was batting at No. 5, very nervous. But when I went into bat, focus turned to watching the ball,” recollects Yuvraj who faced the likes of Brett Lee, Glenn McGrath, Jason Gillespie and the trademark Aussie sledging. But the day was meant to be his as he got dropped on 37. “If I today would’ve scored 37 on my debut against Australia, I would’ve been very happy because of the attack that I was facing,” Yuvraj says. “Luckily, I went on to score 84, I don’t know how, just watched the ball, hit the ball. It was a very big moment for me, to beat Australia and get the Man-of-the-Match award,” says Yuvraj who remembers the importance of running out Michael Bevan. India dispatched the world champions home from Nairobi with some sensational contributions from an 18-year-old Yuvraj. After impressive willow-work, while fielding Yuvraj flung himself to pluck a stunner sending pinch-hitter Ian Harvey back but the direct hit to run out Bevan sealed Australia’s fate. Home of Heroes will be a no-holds-barred conversation with leading figures in Indian sport. During these interviews, some of India’s leading sportsmen and women will reflect on their life and times as elite athletes and offer their perspectives on the key issues dominating their sport. Free-flowing, candid and intimate, it will invite the viewer to experience their sporting heroes in a new light.

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I didn't sleep whole night before my debut innings: Yuvraj Singh

Yuvraj Singh also recalled the prank Ganguly played on him.

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