The Stage: A Must-Win World Cup Clash
The date was September 19, 2007, and the setting was the inaugural ICC World Twenty20 in South Africa. India was facing England in a crucial Super Eights match at Kingsmead, Durban. Having lost their previous game to New Zealand, India needed a victory
to keep their semi-final hopes alive. After winning the toss and electing to bat, India got off to a blistering start thanks to openers Virender Sehwag (68) and Gautam Gambhir (58). They built a formidable platform, and by the time Yuvraj Singh walked to the crease, India was poised for a massive total. The pressure was on to finish the innings with a flourish.
The Spark: An Argument With Flintoff
The real drama began in the 18th over, bowled by England's fiery all-rounder, Andrew Flintoff. Yuvraj dispatched two of Flintoff's deliveries for boundaries. Flintoff, never one to back down, was not pleased. As the over concluded, he engaged in a heated verbal exchange with the Indian batsman. According to Yuvraj's own accounts over the years, Flintoff dismissed his shots as 'ridiculous'. The conversation escalated quickly. Yuvraj has stated that Flintoff made a threatening comment, something to the effect of, 'I will cut your throat off'. Pointing his bat towards the Englishman, Yuvraj retorted with a threat of his own. The umpires had to intervene to separate the two charged-up players. That confrontation was the spark that ignited an inferno.
The Fury is Unleashed
Visibly angered and pumped up by the altercation, Yuvraj Singh was a man on a mission. He later admitted that the argument with Flintoff left him so infuriated that he decided he had to try and hit every ball for a six. His non-striking partner, MS Dhoni, had a quiet word with him, but the fire was already lit. Unfortunately for England, the bowler tasked with the 19th over was a young and relatively inexperienced Stuart Broad. Broad was not the target of Yuvraj's anger, but he was the one standing in the line of fire. He became the unlucky recipient of one of the most brutal assaults in cricket history, a direct consequence of the words exchanged just moments before.
The Unfortunate Victim: Stuart Broad
Stuart Broad, who would go on to become one of England's greatest-ever fast bowlers, was just 21 at the time. He had to bear the full force of a world-class batsman at the peak of his powers and fuelled by pure rage. The first ball sailed over deep mid-wicket. The second, a flick over backward square leg. The third was carved over extra cover. The fourth, a full toss, was sliced over the point boundary. The fifth was heaved over square leg, and the final ball was launched over long-on to complete the perfect over. Yuvraj himself later marvelled at some of the shots, particularly the one over point, which he said he'd never even hit for a boundary before. The incident became a defining, though challenging, moment early in Broad's career, one he later admitted steeled him to become a better competitor.
A Record-Breaking Onslaught
In the space of those six deliveries, Yuvraj Singh not only put the game beyond England's reach but also etched his name into the record books. He reached his half-century in just 12 balls, a record in T20 cricket that still stands today. He became the first player to hit six sixes in an over in a T20 International and only the fourth in all forms of senior cricket. India's total shot up to 218/4, and they went on to win the match by 18 runs. England, in reply, could only manage 200/6.
