“I was greeted by Shahid Afridi with many ‘kind words'” – Yuvraj Singh remembers his debut India vs. Pakistan game in 2003

Yuvraj Singh, a former Indian all-rounder, recently related an event regarding his first-ever India-Pakistan game and the ferocious reception he received from Shahid Afridi at the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, which is scheduled for February 23.

One of the most anticipated cricket matches is typically the India-Pakistan rivalry. This was also the case in the 2003 ICC World Cup match between the two teams. First batsman Saeed Anwar scored an incredible 101 as Pakistan reached 273/7. In response, Yuvraj’s undefeated fifty and Sachin Tendulkar’s incredible 98 enabled India to chase down the score with six wickets remaining, securing yet another World Cup victory against their bitter rivals. Yuvraj recalled the game on JioCinema’s “Greatest Rivalry Returns,” talking about his first-ever experience playing against Pakistan.

It’s among my favorite ODI matches ever. In that game, my friend Shahid Afridi gave me a lot of “kind words” to welcome me. At that point, I saw the true significance of the competition between India and Pakistan. It was one thing to watch it on TV, but it was quite another to play in it. “Even though I recall the tremendous pressure, winning that game gave me the confidence to improve as a player going forward,” he remarked.

Yuvraj Singh, a Sardar’s son, refuses to accept the pressure: Shahid Afridi

Shahid Afridi also discussed that match, highlighting Yuvraj’s daring strategy towards the finish of the innings that helped India defeat the Men in Green in a thrilling victory.

When he was younger, Yuvraj was still figuring out his position on the squad. We got the chance to play with great like Wasim Akram bhai and Inzamam-ul-Haq bhai, who showed us how to defeat opponents, win games, and battle on the ground. We were told by our elders to “show the opposition your eyes.” Put pressure on them. Yuvraj, however, doesn’t handle the strain because he is a Sardar’s son. Despite everything we said, he came in with confidence, concentrated on his batting, and handled it beautifully,” Afridi remarked.