We Remember: Yuvraj Singh Hits Stuart Broad for 6 Sixes in 2007 World T20

It was seven years ago today that Yuvraj Singh entered the record books after smashing England's Stuart Broad for six sixes in an over at the 2007 World T20.

We take a look back at that historic night in Durban.

Background

Following South Africa's defeat of New Zealand earlier in the day, England had already been eliminated from the competition. India needed to win to stay in the hunt for a semi-final place.

Yuvraj stepped to the crease to face the fifth ball of the 17th over with India already in a good position on 155 for 3. It didn't take the left-hander long to show his intentions, smashing his second ball from Chris Tremlett for four.

The quick scoring continued in the next over from Andrew Flintoff which brought Yuvraj another 10 runs from four balls faced.

Flintoff, never short of a word or two, then thought it a good time to get into Yuvraj's ear. Big mistake. The verbals may not have been as memorable as Devon Malcolm's “you guys are history” line but the effect was just as significant. Flintoff probably wishes he'd kept his mouth shut given the carnage that followed.

The Over

Stuart Broad had enjoyed a decent night as he stepped up to bowl the penultimate over at Kingsmead. The 21-year-old's first three overs had gone for 24 runs. Things would quickly get out of hand though.

Ball 1: Yuvraj smashes a pitched-up ball on leg stump 20 rows back across the cow-corner boundary.

Ball 2: While the first six was all power, the second was pure timing. Yuvraj flicks it off his legs over the fence at deep square leg.

Ball 3: Broad changes tack and pitches one up outside off stump. The result is the same as Yuvraj smashes it over the deep long off boundary.

Ball 4: This time from round the wicket, Broad delivers a waist-high full toss outside off-stump which Yuvraj slashes across the fence at backward point.

Ball 5: After a conflab with skipper Paul Collingwood, Broad goes back over the wicket. Another good-length delivery sails over the mid-wicket boundary.

Ball 6: Yuvraj gets under another well pitched up delivery and smashes it over the long-on boundary for the historic sixth six.

The Aftermath

In the space of a few minutes, Yuvraj had rewritten the record books. He became the first man to hit six sixes in a T20 match and also set the record for the fastest fifty, at just 12 balls. India's total of 218 for four remains their highest in a T20 international.

The onslaught was all the sweeter for Yuvraj who'd been on the receiving end of a similar barrage earlier in the year. Dimitri Mascarenhas clubbed five sixes from a Yuvraj over in an ODI at the Oval.

Despite a valiant effort, England fell 18 runs short of the victory target.

To cap it all, the Indians went on to beat Pakistan in the final to become the first World T20 champions.

In a post-match press conference, Yuvraj was magnanimous in victory. When asked what his strategy was when going out to bat, he jokingly told the BBC, "Just go out there and slog."

What of the shell-shocked Englishmen? Such a mauling could have easily destroyed Stuart Broad's fledgling international career. Instead, he has gone on to become one of his country's best bowlers.

He told the Daily Mirror's Mike Walters in 2008, “It did hurt me at the time, but I'm the type of person who tries not to get too high when things go well so I don't get too down on myself when they go badly.”

And the row with Andrew Flintoff?

Appearing on India's Most Desirable TV show, Yuvraj claimed that the spat started after the Englishman said "those were f-----g ridiculous shots you played." Yuvraj replied with "F--k you." Flintoff answered with "Excuse me?" to which Yuvraj answered. "You heard what I said." Flintoff allegedly finished with "I will cut your throat off." The rest, as they say is history.

Whatever the catalyst was, Yuvraj's incredible over against Stuart Broad remains one of the most incredible moments in cricket history.