Yuvraj Singh: The true warrior and his comeback story
Many would have given up in the face of adversities he has seen. For Yuvraj Singh though, challenges on the field and off it are mere opportunities to show that he is a classy cricketer, steely man and a genuine human being.
Yuvraj Singh was at the peak of his career after India's World Cup triumph two years ago. With 362 runs, 15 wickets and the Man of the Tournament award, life couldn't have been better on the cricket pitch. And then, quite suddenly, it turned into a downward spiral!
About 10 months after the World Cup win, Yuvraj was diagnosed with cancer. He was taken to Boston for chemotherapy and after over 10 weeks of treatment, the match-winner won his personal match, braving past the dreaded disease and making a full recovery. The ordeal however had left him a changed man. "When I got cancer, I asked god why me. But then, when I got Man of the Tournament prize, I didn't say why me. So these things are part of life and you have to take them in your stride," he had said.
After a stint at the National Cricket Academy, Yuvraj staged a heroic comeback to international cricket when he took on the Kiwis in a T20I in Chennai where he scored 34 off 26. It could have been the start of a more consistent dream but this time, inconsistency posed a massive challenge, especially with lackluster performances in the World T20 tournament and against Pakistan and England in ODIs earlier this year.
As a result, the south-paw could not be part of the Indian national team for the Champions Trophy and the subsequent tours to West Indies and Zimbabwe - tours in which his fellow players enjoyed resounding success.
Confined to the sidelines, Yuvraj remained calm and kept his dreams of sharing victories on the field, alive. "There's always pressure when you are playing and when you want to make a comeback but I always want a challenge to focus on and I think a challenge brings the best out of me," he had said at a press conference in the capital. Such were the challenges in front that the 31-year-old brought out all his skills, stamina and courage to flourish against West Indies A (224 runs from three games) and then in the Challenger Trophy.
For someone who has enjoyed the lofty highs as well as seen the despairing depths of international cricket, Yuvraj's tale is not about numbers though. It is a remarkable saga of a 13-year career in which he has never lost hope and continues to be a man who seeks to write new chapters with the might of his cricketing blade.
Now, he will be seen against the Aussies when they come calling in October.