Yuvraj Singh rolled back the years with a sensational batting display as India Champions defeated Australia Champions by 46 runs in the World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2026. The former India all-rounder produced a vintage 71 off 44 balls, including 5 fours and 6 sixes, to set up India’s impressive victory at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.

India Champions posted 196/7 in 20 overs after being asked to bat first. Australia struggled during their chase and were eventually bowled out for 150 in 16.2 overs, giving Yuvraj’s side a winning start to their WCL 2026 campaign.

Yuvraj Singh turns back the clock

Yuvraj walked in after India lost Ambati Rayudu and Stuart Binny early and soon found himself in a position where acceleration was needed.

The left-hander initially assessed the situation before taking the attack to Australia’s bowlers. Once he settled in, the sixes began flowing, bringing back memories of the destructive batting that made him one of India’s most celebrated limited-overs players.

Yuvraj’s knock provided the foundation for India to push towards a competitive total.

The six maximums were particularly eye-catching. At a stage when India needed momentum, Yuvraj repeatedly cleared the ropes and ensured Australia were left with a challenging target.

Here’s the video:

Yuvraj Singh back to doing what he does best — sending the ball into the stands! 💥🏏#wcl #wcl2026 #warofchampions pic.twitter.com/aFdhEVawae

— World Championship Of Legends (@WclLeague) October 4, 2026

Yusuf Pathan and Rishi Dhawan add late firepower

Yuvraj was not the only Indian batter to make an impact.

Yusuf Pathan produced a quickfire 37 from 20 balls, hitting one four and four sixes. His aggressive cameo helped India maintain their momentum after Yuvraj’s departure.

The biggest late contribution came from Rishi Dhawan, who smashed an explosive 35 off just 12 balls. His innings included a four and four sixes and pushed India close to the 200-run mark.

Earlier, Naman Ojha contributed 31 from 26 deliveries, while Binny scored 13 from nine balls. Rayudu made four before departing early.

Together, the contributions helped India Champions finish on 196/7.

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Australia struggle despite D’Arcy Short and Joe Burns’ fightback

Australia’s chase got off to a poor start when captain Usman Khawaja was dismissed for a duck, followed by Ben Dunk for six.

However, D’Arcy Short and Joe Burns briefly brought Australia back into the contest. Short was particularly aggressive, smashing 65 from only 28 balls, with four fours and seven sixes. Burns supported him with 45 off 32 balls, including 4 sixes.

The pair took Australia beyond 100 in the ninth over and appeared capable of changing the complexion of the chase.

India, however, broke the partnership at the right time. Once Short and Burns were separated, Australia’s batting order collapsed rapidly.

After the key partnership was broken, wickets began falling regularly.

Callum Ferguson was dismissed without scoring, while Jonathan Wells made 11. Nathan Coulter-Nile and Kane Richardson also failed to make an impact, and the Australian innings eventually ended at 150 in 16.2 overs.

Dhawal Kulkarni led India’s bowling effort with four wickets, while Mohit Sharma claimed three. Piyush Chawla added two wickets and Harbhajan Singh picked up one as India completed a convincing 46-run victory.

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