Yuvi…

Prodigious talent first spotted at the ICC Championships in Nairobi 2000. All of 18 hammering the likes of McGrath and Lee on debut. 84 in that match.

2 years later along with Kaif guided India to one of her best ODI tournament wins after she was in a hopeless situation having lost all her best bats and tottering at 143/5 chasing 325 in the Natwest Finals.

5 years later he thrashed Broad for 6 sixes in an over.

He hit 70 in 30 balls in the semis Vs Aus! One of the main architects of India’s T20 WC win.

3.5 years later overcoming loss of form, injuries and failures he came back strongly to anchor India’s finest triumph. India’s man of the tournament , that gritty knock in the QF Vs Aus and then standing beside Dhoni as India took the World Cup in Mumbai, on the night of 2 Apr 2011.

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And then we learnt that Yuvraj was battling cancer. I don’t know how this news impacted you all but I was in a bit of shock. I have witnessed the gravity of the disease from close quarters. I have lost my cousin brother all of 25 to blood cancer –   he lost the battle after 1.5 years. He was my favourite among my cousins. I was 21 then and it took me a long time to accept him not being around anymore. I’m not strong enough to narrate what his parents and my family went through during those years.

Yuvraj played the World Cup with CANCER, and then was away for a year fighting the disease. He is only 30 years today.

I always had a grouse against Yuvi for he could not translate his ODI/T20 success into tests – he frustrated me real bad.

But tomorrow when he takes guard, I don’t care if gets out for a duck and is never able to reach his peak in cricket again – to me he is beyond all failures. Cricket is merely a game, Yuvi has fought the battle against death and come out victorious. He is already a tremendous source of inspiration – His fight back has paved the hope for many – and no matter what he does from tomorrow on the field he will remain a hero forever!

GO YUVI…..

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