Yuvraj Singh will always be remembered among the most transformative faces in Indian cricket in the 21st century. The swashbuckling southpaw made his debut at the turn of the millennium and soon turned himself into an inextricable part of the Indian team, especially in the limited overs formats.
In two of India’s biggest cricketing and sporting achievements of this century (2007 T20 World Cup and 2011 Cricket World Cup triumphs), Yuvraj was named ‘Player of the Tournament’, which speaks volumes of his ability to turn up in the biggest moments and turn the course of matches almost single-handedly.
It’s that ability that endeared him to the billion and a half-strong, cricket mad Indian public and also catapulted him to the consciousness of the global cricketing diaspora, right from the start when he came in as a lanky middle order batsmen at the age of 18. Over a career spanning 17 years and later, Yuvraj’s exploits on a cricket field, from smashing six sixes in a single over in 2007 to his Player of the Tournament performances, still remains in the memories of fans and players alike.
YUVRAJ SINGH FACT FILE Date of Birth 12 December 1981 Birthplace Chandigarh Nickname Yuvi Height 6’ 2” (188 cm) Weight 78kg Occupation Cricketer, Entrepreneur
Teams RepresentedIndia, Asia XI, Punjab Kings, Pune Warriors, North Zone, India A, Punjab, India Blue, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Rest of the World XI, Delhi Capitals, Sunrisers Hyderabad, India Red, Mumbai Indians, Toronto Nationals, Maratha Arabians, Gilchrist XI, India Legends, India Maharajas, New Jersey Legends, New York Superstar Strikers, India Champions Honours Arjuna Award – 2012; Padma Shri – 2014 Net Worth ₹291 crores (US$35 million) Earnings/year ₹1 crore (US$120,000)
Social Media Instagram – 20 million; Twitter/X – 6.3 million; Facebook – 19 million Spouse Hazel Keech (m.2016) Children Orion (b.2022), Aura (b.2023)
Yuvraj’s quality on a cricket field and his flamboyant persona and stature established him as a potential commercial entity. Even seven years on from his retirement, Yuvraj remains one of the most sought-after personalities due to which the left-hander has built a significant net worth of nearly ₹300 crores, establishing him among the richest cricketers in the world.
YUVRAJ SINGH: CAREER IN NUMBERS
The name ‘Yuvraj’ means a Prince and the destructive left-hander was every bit of cricketing royalty. He took to cricket like duck to water, marking himself as a talent for the future with consistently big scores in school and age-level cricket.
Yuvraj caught the attention of the cricketing public and the national selection committee when he smashed 358* in a Cooch Behar Trophy game as a 15-year-old, against a Bihar team who had a certain World Cup winning captain and future Indian teammate donning the wicket keeping gloves for them. His decimating innings made the world sit up and take notice of Yuvraj’s prodigious talents.
Calls to make him a part of the Indian team only got louder after a sparkling campaign in the ICC U-19 Cricket World Cup in Sri Lanka at the turn of the millennium where Yuvraj was named the Player of the Tournament (something about him and major ICC events).
His performances in that tournament left no more questions to be asked and Yuvraj was fast-tracked into the Indian team for the ICC Champions Trophy in 2000, at the age of 18. The left-hander, who had a rocket of a left arm and was a handy left arm spinner, proved he was the man for the big stage after scoring a fearless 84* against the mighty Australians in only his second international game. It would become a trend over his 17-year career as Yuvraj went on to become one of India’s premier matchwinners. Format Matches Innings Runs Average 50s 100s Highest Wickets BBI Test 40 62 1,900 33.92 11 3 169 9 2/20 ODI 304 278 8,701 36.56 52 14 150 111 5/31 T20I 58 51 1,177 28.02 8 – 77* 28 3/17 IPL 132 126 2,750 24.77 13 – 83 36 4/29 FC 139 221 8,965 44.16 36 26 260 41 5/94 List A 423 389 12,663 37.91 78 19 172 166 5/31 TROPHIES WON
ICC Cricket World Cup: 2011;
ICC T20 World Cup: 2007;
ICC Champions Trophy: 2002;
Asia Cup: 2016;
ICC U19 Cricket World Cup: 2000;
Indian Premier League: 2016, 2019
When in full flow, few looked more mesmerizing than the man from Mohali. What made him special was his ability to step up when it mattered and make things happen out of nothing, be it with the bat, ball or in the field. While he did not have a more successful career in the longest format, Yuvraj more than made up for it in the shortest format of the game, winning every major trophy in cricket and more importantly, proving to be the point of difference in each of those triumphs.
ENDORSEMENTS & INVESTMENTS
While he has retired from all forms of cricket, Yuvraj remains an active figure. The left-handed dasher has always been a key media figure thanks to his athletic ability, good looks and exuberant personality.
Over the years, Yuvraj has endorsed and been part of a number of brands ranging from health supplements to stylish aftershave creams. During his playing career, Yuvraj featured for some major brands including Reebok and luxury watch brand Ulysse Nardin. Now having retired from active cricket, Yuvraj makes his dough from a endorsing a number of brands, such as:
- Puma
- Cadbury
- Birla Sun Life
- Pepsi
- Asian Paints
- MasterCard
- Whirlpool
- Samsonite
- Himalaya
- Thums Up
- 1xBAT Sporting Lines
- Amazon Prime Video & Mini TV
All things considered, it is reported that Yuvraj earns a total of ₹1 crore from his endorsements and partnerships with a number of brands including the ones mentioned above.
A key component of Yuvraj’s portfolio is his investments. The middle-order maverick started ‘YouWeCan Ventures’ in 2015 as a philanthropic foundation, but then expanded its portfolio to become Yuvraj’s investment arm as well. He also sports the logo of his venture on his bat and cricketing paraphernalia which broadened his initiative’s reach within and outside India.
Through his YwC Ventures, Yuvraj has reportedly invested more than ₹100 crore on a number of companies ranging from ecommerce to health-based startups. Some of his renowned investments in his portfolio include a number of Indian companies such as technology brand Nothing, EazyDiner, Naturals Salon, Edukart, Chqbook, SportyBeans and Black White Orange indicating his desire to invest and grow local Indian businesses. He has also invested in a host of health-based startups and companies such as Healthians and Wellversed. It is reported that Yuvraj’s investments are set to grow at an annual rate of more than 30%.
Apart from his investments, Yuvraj has also set up Yuvraj Singh Centres of Excellence across numerous cities in his native state of Punjab and further expanding across the country with the aim of mentoring young boys and girls and giving them the platform to fulfill their cricketing dreams.
TASTE FOR THE FINER THINGS IN LIFE
REAL ESTATE
A key part of Yuvraj’s superstardom is also his taste for the finer things in life. The explosive left hander has made a name not just with his exploits on the field but also his choices of style and elegance in life.
Yuvraj is the proud owner of many luxurious assets and none come bigger than his investments in high-end real estate.
The 43-year old currently resides with his family in Mumbai across two apartments that he purchased in 2013, in the residential tower, Omkar 1973, in Worli. It is reported that Yuvraj spent a whopping ₹64 crore to purchase the apartments that span a total area of 16,000 sq feet and offer panoramic views of the city and the Arabian Sea coastline.
Yuvraj also owns a plush mansion in Chandigarh that contains sprawling interiors and houses some of the most special memorabilia from his career.
Another sparkling piece of real estate that Yuvraj owns is a holiday home in North Goa. Like his house in Chandigarh, the house in Goa features prominent memorabilia and souvenirs from Yuvraj’s illustrious career and also houses among other swanky facilities, an outdoor pool and a massive lounge area.
While he also owns sprawling properties across cities like Delhi, Gurugram and a farmhouse in Panchkula, Yuvraj frequents between his palatial pieces of real estate mentioned above.
YUVRAJ’S CAR COLLECTION
Yuvraj’s taste for finery doesn’t just end with his real estate investments. Like his batting, the 43-year-old also appreciates speed and style on the road and possesses an envious collection of cars.
Among his boastful collection, Yuvraj sports some high end models including:
- Bentley Continental Flying Spur – The costliest car in Yuvraj’s collection is also the four-wheeler that he holds the most special. The Continental Flying Spur’s current price stands at a whopping ₹5.5 crore, reason enough for it to be anyone’s most treasured automobile investment.
- Lamborghini Murcielago – Another hot ride that Yuvraj owns which costs nearly ₹3.6 crore.
Apart from these high end speedsters, Yuvraj owns a whole fleet of swanky cars.
- BMW M5: ₹2 crore
- BMW X6 M: ₹1.44 crore
- BMW X7: ₹1.25 crore
- BMW 3-Series: ₹72.90 lakh
- Audi Q5 TDI Diesel: ₹56.21 lakh
In 2007, Yuvraj was gifted a sparkling new Porsche car by BCCI administrator and the creator of the IPL, Lalit Modi after doing the unthinkable of smashing six consecutive sixes in an over against England. These pieces of luxurious engineering indicate Yuvraj’s taste for style and elegance in everything he does.
FAMILY, POPULARITY AND SOCIAL MEDIA
Ever since his emergence on the international stage as a bubbling 18-year old, Yuvraj has been a centerpiece of attention thanks to his good looks, athletic frame and his stylish persona. From chic fashion choices to having the newest and coolest pieces of paraphernalia, Yuvraj has always captivated attention with his style statement which add charm to his carnage on the cricket field.
A key part of Yuvraj’s popularity (even otherwise) is his fanatical social media following which counts to nearly 50 million across all major platforms. The former Indian cricketer regularly posts memorable moments from his career and interactions with former cricketers and teammates, leaving fans in splits and more often in a wave of nostalgia.
The 43-year-old got married to British actress Hazel Keech in 2016 with the couple being blessed with two children, a boy named Orion in January 2022 and a girl named Aura who was born a year later.
Yuvraj’s initiation into cricket came as part of his father’s strict instruction to take up the sport. His father Yograj Singh was also a professional cricketer and though he didn’t have as illustrious a career as his son, Yograj’s constant push formed a key part of getting his son into the gentleman’s game.
He was also named the ambassador of the Cricket World Cup for Blind which was held in India, in 2022, and was also the brand ambassador of 2024 T20 World Cup. Interestingly, India won the World Cup on both occasions (petition to make Yuvraj the ambassador for every ICC tournament from here on).
Despite his retirement, Yuvraj continues to be involved in cricket, participating in various charity and invitational tournaments. He recently played in the World Championship of Legends (which featured legendary players from major cricketing nations) where India were crowned champions after defeating rivals Pakistan in the final.
YUVRAJ SINGH’S HEALTH ISSUES
Anyone who knows remotely about Yuvraj Singh would be well aware of his fight against a rare form of cancer. The 43-year-old was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor in his left lung after India’s victorious World Cup campaign in 2011 and underwent clinical medical processes to cure the deadly condition. It’s with this crippling tumor that Yuvraj put his life on the line, delaying treatment for his condition to win a World Cup for his country. Talk about warrior spirit!
Within a year of dealing with painful surgeries and chemotherapy, Yuvraj overcame all the hurdles showcasing fierce determination to beat cancer and return to professional cricket in 2012, having endured the toughest time of his life which came on the back of the best moment, a home World Cup win.
The maverick batsman spoke about his battle with cancer and its impact on him in stirring fashion and in length in his autobiography ‘The Test of My Life: From Cricket to Cancer and Back’, published in 2013. The impact of his fight against cancer also made Yuvraj become more conscious of helping people in their fight against cancer.
Through his YwC ventures, Yuvraj, along with his mother Shabnam, created a philanthropic foundation through which they fund entire medical procedures and rehabilitation for people fighting against cancer. Yuvraj has also invested in a number of startups that are involved in research to battle cancer. His journey and comeback forms an inspirational story set to stand the test of time and further elevated his status as one of the best cricketers and performers that India has ever produced.
