Unforgiving Yuvraj sets Kotla alight

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Star turn

There's something about a reprieve that brings out an uninhibited approach to batting. Had Sanju Samson taken a straightforward chance at deep square leg, Yuvraj Singh's innings would have been remembered as a struggle. Twenty minutes later, it was brute force that would remain in the memory, as strong bottom-handed drills and disdainful hoicks hit the high notes in Yuvraj's 41-ball 70 that lifted Sunrisers Hyderabad to 185.

That Yuvraj had not scored much since a bruising knock in the season opener against Royal Challengers Bangalore - his last four outings fetched him 24 - was largely due to the belligerence of the Sunrisers' top three. Tuesday was just the second time Yuvraj faced more than 20 deliveries since he made that sparkling 27-ball 62 nearly a month ago.

At the Feroz Shah Kotla, on what Yuvraj described as a two-paced surface, the marauder who dismisses bowling attacks nonchalantly surfaced in the second half of his knock after early trouble against spin. Yuvraj had pushed and prodded for the first 17 deliveries as Sunrisers decelerated from 75 for 1 in eight overs to 106 for 3 in 14. But his ability to make up for the slow start, something that hasn't been easy of late, underlined his importance in the middle order. The exhibition of hitting in the end overs - Yuvraj's smashed 41 off 15 after being reprieved on 29 - was anything but commonplace. Unfortunately for Sunrisers, it didn't translate into a winning performance.

The wow moment

In trying to bowl yorkers repeatedly in his final over, Kagiso Rabada missed his length by no more than an inch or two. By standing deep inside the crease, Yuvraj ensured there was no margin for such errors. He had previously flicked and squeezed two attempted yorkers on either side of the wicket. Now Rabada bowled full on middle, perhaps anticipating the batsman moving inside the line to flick it fine. But Yuvraj, who was standing outside leg, found the ball right in his swinging arc. He responded by using his strong bottom hand to drill the ball straight over Rabada's head into the top tier. The half-flourish and the pose for the cameras suggested how much he enjoyed it.

Stats that matter

• The 41-ball 70 was Yuvraj's 25th T20 fifty.

• It was his second-highest IPL score. His best of 83 came for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Rajasthan Royals in 2014.

• Yuvraj struck at 218.50 off 27 deliveries for the quicks. In comparison, he struggled at a strike rate of 78.60 against spin.

What they said

"I said to Moises Henriques, if we try to get around 170-175, we'll get 180. But if we try 180, we might end up getting 160. Delhi has got the best bowling attack in the IPL. They've got very good international bowlers. You have to be smart and wait for the loose balls."
Yuvraj Singh