Yuvraj Singh - "Live strong" always!

Walking with a thorn prick on your leg is considered very difficult, painful and even impossible for some people. This cricketer walked, talked and played with deadly cancer in his body. Yuvraj Singh – This batsman from Punjab has been a phenomenal success since the time he made his debut. He has been a masterful stroke maker and a wily hitter who on his day can be quite unstoppable. His character and attitude are quite unique and his fielding is one of the best in the country.

Yuvraj Singh was born to a Sikh family. His father Yograj Singh was a former Indian fast bowler. His parents divorced when he was a child and he was brought up by his mother, Shabnam Singh. He played cricket for Punjab and was soon selected for the Indian limited overs team. He made his debut in the year 2000. He wasn’t an immediate success though he began making some progress in the side. His knock of 69 in a partnership of 121 with Mohammed Kaif at Lords in 2002 Natwest series final is remembered by many cricket fans even today. That was the match which showed the class of Yuvraj. He made his first century against Bangladesh in 2003 which was one of the fastest, coming in just 70 balls. He made his test debut in the same year against New Zealand.

Though Yuvraj was playing well in the limited overs format, he was unable to cement his place in the test side owing to the strong middle order that India had at that time. He was in and out of the test side for the major part of his career. His major test high came against Pakistan against whom he has scored 3 centuries till date. Though Yuvraj wasn’t in the regular test eleven, he has made vital contributions whenever he has been in the side. The epic run chase in Chennai against England in 2008 saw Yuvraj making a stroke filled 87 and he remained not out along with Sachin to take India home. Yuvraj has said that this was one of his finest innings that he ever played.

Yuvraj is one of those very few Indian batsmen who can play fast bowling well. This has been his strength against tough oppositions. In 2007 at home, he scored a fighting century against Australia when all the other batsmen faltered, and though they lost the match, Yuvraj was hailed for his innings which was one of the best that one had seen.

One of the best tournaments for Yuvraj was the first ever T20 world cup in 2007 where he made a world record by smashing six 6s in an over off Stuart Broad. It was raw force and domination that Yuvraj projected that day, making a mince meat of Stuart Broad’s bowling. He went on to score the fastest T20 half century in 12 balls, a record that is intact till this date and has very less chance of getting broken. He didn’t stop with that. He went on to score a blistering 70 off 30 balls against the Aussies in the semifinals of that tournament. Such was his influence that he won India two matches almost on his own. He is an impact player who gets quick runs and in a skillful manner. He is not a slogger and his drives and pulls are always a treat to watch. He hits his shots with a straight bat which is always a plus point in his batting.

Yuvraj was out of form for a while in 2008 and many people wanted him dropped from the team for the ODI series against England. But Yuvraj was eventually selected. He had his back hurt on the eve of the match, and he played the match wearing a back support. But that didn’t stop him from scoring a whirlwind 138 off just 80 odd balls. He went after the bowling like a man possessed and scored some audacious boundaries in his innings, the result of which India won the match fairly easily and Yuvraj was adjudged the man of the match. The next match, India were tottering, losing two wickets early in the innings when Yuvraj came in. He steadied the ship and made a well compiled 100 to lead his team to victory. He also picked up 4 wickets in the match, earning the man of the match award for the second consecutive time. He had a splendid season in 2008 afterwards, getting picked for the test team and scoring some runs.

Yuvraj’s next best tournament, which even exceeds the 2007 world cup, was the 2011 50-over cup where he played a crucial hand in winning the world cup for Team India. He was short of confidence when he was picked for the tournament. But he came back to form at a crucial time, hitting four fifties and a century in the World Cup, picking up four man of the match awards in the process. He also picked up 16 wickets and the man of the series award.

Neither the man of the series award, nor the 50s or the 100 or the wickets mattered. This man played through pain, which we later came to know. It takes a lot of courage and determination to do what he did. The time when he vomited and was in pain during the match against West Indies, where he went to score a fine century, no one would have even imagined that what he would have gone through to stay in the middle for that long and get those crucial runs. It showed a lot of character from him and he is definitely a hero for what he did for his country. He was deservedly got the Arjuna Award for his contributions.

When the world came to know about his conditions, his fans were devastated and the country felt the loss of a fine young talent who could have served the country much more. But being the fighter that he is, he vowed to come back stronger than ever. He underwent many agonizing treatments, including chemotherapy and was bedridden for almost 10 months. But he made a brilliant comeback against New Zealand, and scored crucial runs though India lost the match.

Yuvraj is one of those “never give in” players. He has worked hard and that shows in his performances. He went through a most painful experience, that too at a very young age. Many people won’t have the courage to fight back and win over it. But Yuvraj did and he is a hero and an inspiration, not only for me but for the whole world in showing how to fight and win!