After Cancer Diagnosis, Doctor Told Yuvraj Singh He Had 3-6 Months Left To Live. His Reply
Yuvraj Singh opened up on his battle with cancer, saying he was told by the doctor that he only had 3 to 6 months left to live.
- Yuvraj Singh battled cancer diagnosed between his heart and lung during the 2011 World Cup
- "Was told you have 3 to 6 months left to live," Yuvraj revealed during a podcast
- Yuvraj moved to the USA for treatment with Dr Einhorn, who treated Lance Armstrong
One of the biggest match-winners in Indian cricket, Yuvraj Singh's story is one that would inspire several generations of cricketers. From winning Player of the Series awards in the 2007 T20 World Cup and the 2011 ODI World Cup to making a return after battling cancer, Yuvraj's life is a true cricketing hero's memoir. The man who beat cancer and made a comeback to the Indian team opened up on his battle with the deadly disease, revealing that he was told he had only three to six months left to live.
Yuvraj was battling cancer during the 2011 World Cup, but he chose to fight the pain and doubt to deliver some of the finest performances of his career. After the World Cup ended, however, the former all-rounder realised how much his health had deteriorated.
"It was hard to accept. At the peak of your career, you're on top of a mountain and then you fall into a ditch. I was in Delhi. We were going on tour to the West Indies and England. Ganguly had retired and my Test spot had just opened. I was waiting seven years for that spot. I said, 'I don't care if I die, I need that spot.' But I got sicker and sicker.
"Dr Nitesh Rohatgi said to me, 'The tumour is sitting between your heart and lung. Either you go and play cricket or you might have a heart attack. You've got three to six months left to live if you don't do chemotherapy.' That's when I realised I needed to think," Yuvraj said during a chat with Michael Vaughan on The Overlap Cricket.
This is when Yuvraj moved to the USA for treatment and was told that he might never get to play cricket again. But the winner's mentality in him didn't let him lose hope.
"I went to the US to see Dr Einhorn, who treated Lance Armstrong. It took a whole year to come to terms with the fact that I might never play again. Mentally, it was harder. I needed something to motivate myself. If I don't play cricket, who am I? I'm no one. That's what I believed," he said.
Yuvraj added that he kept watching cricket videos while undergoing treatment. During this period, the likes of Anil Kumble and Sachin Tendulkar paid him a visit to see him. Kumble even advised him to take rest and not put strain on his mind by watching videos.
"I kept watching old videos. Anil Kumble came to America, shut my laptop, and said, 'Focus on your health, stop watching cricket videos.' Sachin came to see me in England. Dr Einhorn gave me confidence; he said, 'You'll be a man who walks out of this hospital and never has cancer again.' I came back and played for India in six months-the T20 World Cup. I wasn't at my best, but I still got one Man of the Match. Then me and Zaheer Khan went to France for two months of fitness training in a remote area called Brive. We got fitter, came back, and made a comeback again," Yuvraj revealed.
Yuvraj Singh