Yuvraj Singh revealed he sent Stuart Broad a signed shirt the day after hitting him for six sixes in an over in the 2007 World T20 to empathise with the fast bowler.

The special feat – Yuvraj remains one of only two batsman to achieve it at international level – was made all the sweeter because of who it came against. “I was just happy that the six sixes came against England, because I got hit for five sixes against England.”

The game in question had come just months before the World T20, with Dimitri Mascarenhas the batsman to do the damage in an ODI at The Oval. After acknowledging he had won a sledging battle with Andrew Flintoff, Yuvraj looked to Mascarenhas to make clear that personal score had been settled too.

“Freddie was just being Freddie, he said a few words and I said something back, and the rest is history,” said Yuvraj. “I remember when I hit the sixth six, the first look was at Freddie, and the second look was at Mascarenhas. I remember looking at him and he gave me a smile like, ‘the monkey’s off my back’.”

According to Yuvraj, it was Broad’s father, Chris, an ICC match referee, who instigated the gesture. I remember when I hit six sixes Chris Broad was the match referee, he came up to me the next day and said ‘You almost finished my son’s career, now you have to sign this shirt for him,’” he said on The Doosra podcast. “So I remember giving my India jersey and wrote a message that ‘I have been hit for five sixes in an over and I know how it feels. To the future of England cricket, all the best.’ That was fun banter with Chris Broad at that time.”

Now, Yuvraj and Broad are friends, and the Indian paid tribute to the Englishman’s career. “We always have fun banter,” he said. “I have not had too many interactions with him since then, but England toured India in 2013 and I remember going out with Broad and Pietersen to dinner, I took them all to dinner. I had a good chat with Stuart about me coming back from cancer, stuff like that.

“Now Stuart Broad has taken 430 Test wickets, he’s one of the best fast bowlers in the world, so his journey’s been fantastic. It’s just great to see that because I don’t think any bowler if he’d been hit for six sixes from India would have had such a fantastic career.”