Yuvraj Singh
An Indian cricket hero whose six sixes in an over and World Cup heroics are forever etched in history, followed by a brave battle with cancer.
Born 1981 (age 45)·Indian cricketer·Birthday: December 12·Millennials
Biography
Yuvraj Singh arrived on the cricket scene as a flamboyant left-handed force, blending audacious strokeplay with handy left-arm spin. He was instrumental in India's golden era, with his career defining moment coming in the 2007 T20 World Cup when he smashed England's Stuart Broad for six consecutive sixes—a feat of brutal, calculated power. His greatest contribution came in the 2011 ODI World Cup, where he played through illness to become the tournament's standout all-rounder, driving India to victory on home soil. That illness was later revealed to be a cancerous tumor, a fight he won with the same determination he showed on the pitch. Yuvraj's legacy is one of match-winning brilliance and profound personal resilience.
Millennials
1981–1996
The first digital natives. Grew up with the internet, came of age during 9/11 and the 2008 crash. Highly educated, deeply indebted, slower to marry and buy houses. Redefined work, identity, and what it means to be an adult.
Yuvraj was born in 1981, placing them squarely in the Millennials. The events that shaped this generation — the internet revolution, 9/11, and the 2008 financial crisis — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Yuvraj Was Born
The biggest hits of 1981
#1 Movie
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Best Picture
Chariots of Fire
#1 TV Show
Dallas
Yuvraj's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1981Born
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1986Started school
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1994Became a teenager
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
1997Could drive
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
1999Could vote
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2002Turned 21
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2011Turned 30
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2021Turned 40
January 6 Capitol breach; COVID vaccines roll out globally
Gas: $3.01/galHome: $298,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Levitating" — Dua LipaBest Picture: CODA
2026Age 45 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Hit six sixes in a single over off England's Stuart Broad during the 2007 ICC World Twenty20.
- Awarded the Player of the Tournament for his all-round performance in India's victorious 2011 Cricket World Cup campaign.
- Scored over 11,000 international runs and took more than 140 wickets across all formats for India.
Did You Know?
He founded the 'YouWeCan' foundation to support cancer awareness and aid patients after his own recovery.
His father, Yograj Singh, was a former Indian Test cricketer who also acted in Punjabi films.
He was the first player to take a five-wicket haul and score a fifty in the same World Cup match, achieving it against Ireland in 2011.
“I had two options: one was to go into depression, the other was to fight it out. I decided to fight.”
