The compelling story of Yuvraj Singh

How he fought cancer and came out on top after winning a World Cup is a heartwarming tale for the ages

After the win against
Australia in the World Cup: Yuvraj
could have died of a heart attack back then and no one would have known he had cancer 

It is a matter of some disappointment that cricketers rarely write good books - when they do write them, that is. It is amazing how interesting careers look infinitely more boring, how exciting events are clothed with terrifyingly dull prose, and how lives become scorecards drearily described in an attempt to fill pages. Then comes Yuvraj Singh's book. And you want to read it.

This is really a book of two stories, closely intertwined, within one narrative. It is the story of the 2011 World Cup win, but played out against the backdrop of a deadly shadow. As India inched closer to a second World Cup victory, a giant tumour, eventually 15cm x 11cm x 13 cm was growing within Yuvraj and pressing against a lung and artery. He couldn't sleep, he was throwing up, he was constantly breathless, and he was winning Man-of-the-Match awards. The doctors told him afterwards that he could have died of a heart attack because the artery was being squeezed - and no one would have known he had cancer.

And so it needs to be read at two levels. One, as a sportsman's account of how the biggest event in his life unfolded, and two, of the fear of fighting something he couldn't see. He didn't know what it would do, whether it would take away from him the only thing he was good at, and, worst of all, whether it would claim him. When we write of others, we use these words easily but Yuvraj's story affected me, had me thinking: what if it was me, what if it was someone in my family? And then I tried remembering the World Cup all over again.

Yuvraj with the World Cup In 2011.

Were there pictures of him desperately trying to get up from under five or six bodies piled on him in celebration because he could no longer breathe? Do I remember that battle cry after the quarter-final against Australia in Ahmedabad? Why was he going on about wanting to do it for Sachin?

And it is an honestly written book. He talks about problems between his parents, the stress, and then the relief, of them living apart, of how it affected his younger brother, and of how cricket became an escape from it all.

There is respect for what his father tried to do, but it doesn't gloss over the uneasy relationship between the two. Yograj Singh once threw a glass of milk at Yuvraj, which he ducked under but saw break a window behind him, because he hadn't scored enough runs. But Yuvraj also remembers his father's advice from when he was growing up, "Play straight, down the ground", at a crucial time in the World Cup quarter-final.

There is, too, the frustration of not really making it in Test cricket, and he is quite open about putting in the book a comment from VVS Laxman, about how he knew two Yuvrajs: one who believed he could win every one-day game, and the other who was a bundle of nerves in a Test match.

Yuvraj's book needs to be read at two levels. One, as a sportsman's account of how the biggest event in his life unfolded, and two, of the fear of fighting something he couldn't see

But eventually this is the story of a fight against an illness that scared him like nothing had; of someone who tried to cure his cancer with acupuncture, and of a humane doctor who gave him reassurance and told him the truth. And it is a mother's story; of a woman who dropped everything and, as he says, gave birth to him again. Unless you are hard and emotionless, you will find it difficult not to be moved by Shabnam Singh's story. And by the details of the love of the Indian cricket fan, of students in Indiana who made cards and brought food, and simple people who helped with shopping and cooked when needed. Those are not isolated stories. Mothers care, friends help, good samaritans emerge, but because it is Yuvraj, because it happened either side of the World Cup, you read it all and you feel good.

And you get an insight into people around Indian cricket. You read of trainers who didn't rest, and didn't let Yuvraj ease up on his routine; of team doctors who woke up at 4am to cajole a nervy match-winner to bed, who take great efforts to find the right sleeping pill before a World Cup final; of team-mates who call only to tell stories that will raise his spirits; and yes, of administrators who gave assurances of looking after everything. Indeed, Yuvraj talks about the support system in Indian cricket and wonders how he would have fared if he had been playing another sport.

It is a book that could have become syrupy, melodramatic and very Bollywood. Or it could have told the story with a literary flourish that wouldn't quite have been Yuvraj. At most times it stays simple, and it is in doing that and yet telling the story that Sharda Ugra plays her role. The writer with flair does come through fleetingly, but she doesn't allow style to dominate. A biography would have been very differently, but I suspect more easily, written.

Far too much of Indian cricket is shrouded behind scorecards, irrelevant quotes, noise, glamour and money. There are some lovely stories to be told that the lure of the daily media box office doesn't always allow. It is good to see one come up sometimes.

NEws about Yuvi

Yuvraj Singh confident of India retaining World Cup

Praising Dhoni's efficient leadership, Yuvraj said the team's spectacular showing so far makes him believe that India can retain the trophy.

Praising Mahendra Singh Dhoni's efficient leadership, out-of-favour Indian all-rounder Yuvraj Singh said that the team's spectacular showing in this edition so far makes him believe that the Men in Blue can retain the trophy.

"The way the Indian cricket is performing under the captaincy of Mahendra Singh Dhoni in the World Cup clearly manifests that it will retain the world champions title," Yuvraj, who inaugurated a cricket academy at ITM University, told reporters.

The left-handed batsman also opines that Dhoni's strategies have worked well against the big teams in the 50-over showpiece event.

Yuvraj recalled the days of playing against Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar alongwith captain Sourav Ganguly in Karachi.

"His balling speed was over 150 km which was a challenge," the all-rounder recounted.

Yuvraj also said in a lighter vein that Akhtar is a good commentator as well.

New field restriction rules affected Yuvraj's bowling: MS Dhoni

Dhoni points to the change in field restrictions (with only four fielders outside the 30-yard circle) being precisely the reason why India lost Yuvraj.

Yuvraj Singh's 15 wickets in the 2011 World Cup was one of the major factors which contributed to Mahendra Singh Dhoni lifting the coveted trophy but the Indian captain says last edition's 'Player of The Tournament' is no longer as effective as he used to be in the current set-up.

Dhoni points to the change in field restrictions (with only four fielders outside the 30-yard circle) being precisely the reason why India lost "Yuvraj Singh, the handy left-arm spinner".

"If you see, after the rule change happened, Yuvi didn't bowl a lot. We must admit that once the rule change (field restriction) happened, it did affect his bowling although he is a regular with the ball in T20s," Dhoni said in context of whether Suresh Raina can do a "Yuvraj of 2011" in the ongoing edition.

Dhoni has never been a big advocate of the four-fielder theory as he feels that a lot of his part-time bowlers including the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag became far less effective in changed circumstances.

"In the pre-field restriction days, Viru paaji, Sachin Paaji and Yuvi used to bowl a lot and we depended on them. But they were all part-timers and on good batting tracks, they would find it difficult to bowl well.

"Like Raina is a good option if there is some help from the wicket. Also, he bowls a good line to the left-handers. I felt I needed him during the Ireland game. Like Shikhar (Dhawan) and Rohit (Sharma) are also part-timers but I can only use them when conditions are conducive," said Dhoni.

Since Yuvraj's name is always synonymous with World Cup triumph, Dhoni was also asked to compare Yuvraj's performance with that of Raina's in this edition, the skipper put it down to their different batting positions.

"Look, if you see Yuvi's career, he started at No. 5 but as soon as he was doing well, he was batting at No. 4. I guess from 2005 onwards, he has always batted at No. 4 while Kaif was there at No. 5 for sometime and I also batted in that position.

"Now Raina bats at No. 5 which is a very key number in terms of context of the game. So it will be difficult to compare, Yuvi and Raina as the batting Nos were not similar," Dhoni explained.

Dhoni did admit that 2015 edition has not been the one for specialist allrounders as most of them have not got opportunities to showcase their skills with the bat.

"The allrounders have not got a lot of chance during this World Cup. If you compare with lot of allrounders (Yuvraj, Dwayne Bravo), who played key role during last World Cup, are not playing this time. Also an allrounder needs to get a chance to bat between 30th and 35th over. That gives him a chance to score a 50 and also bowl decent number of overs," he said.

"That situation didn't arise till now in this World Cup.

"They haven't been challenged in their batting although they have got more exposed to bowling. Also every allrounder is not like Jacques Kallis batting at No. 3."

Link-up reports with Yuvraj Singh irks Preity Zinta

Actress-producer Preity Zinta has never refrained from speaking her mind, so it did not come as a surprise when she took to micro-blogging site Twitter to shun link-up reports with Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh calling such comments as "sexist".

"Comments like these are sexist & reek of cheapness at my place of work. Pls refrain from writing that YUVRAJ & PREITY were in a relationship," the actress tweeted.

"Dear Media (Specially International Business times) HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO SAY THAT I HAVE NEVER DATED OR INTENDED TO DATE YUVRAJ SINGH?," she added.

Yuvraj Singh(R) with Preity Zinta. 

The actress, who uses the digital platform to connect with her fans, was last seen in the 2014 release "Happy Ending".

World Cup 2015: Can Suresh Raina be India's Yuvraj of 2011?

Yuvraj was the Man of the Series in India's 2011 World Cup triumph and Raina's form suggests he can take over from where Yuvi left.
Rohit Sharma recently called him one of two or three best finishers of a One-Day International innings. Mahendra Singh Dhoni has said no one was better equipped in the Indian line-up than him to take on the bowling from ball one. They were both referring to Suresh Raina, limited-overs performer supreme who will most likely have to put his Test aspirations on hold for the foreseeable future after twin ducks on his comeback in Sydney last month.

It is difficult to miss Raina, in the India Blue, on the field. From slip, he is either constantly engaged in conversation with his stumper-captain, or screaming out words of encouragement to the bowler. Every time a half decent stop is middle in the inner circle - increasingly, India's Gen Next is making that something of a good habit - Raina is the first on the spot for a slap of hands or a pat on the back. And when a wicket falls, he magically appears next to the bowler, embracing in a bone-crunching bear hug that can't but trigger an endorphin rush.These are not Suresh Raina's primary responsibilities. He is mainly in the Indian limited-overs set-up for his heavy-duty batting with a penchant for the on side, for his muscular decimation of bowling attacks, for the variety he brings with his left-hand batsmanship, for the alacrity with which he runs between the wickets. Raina's presence in the Indian team owes itself to his mercurial batting, but Dhoni and his men are thankful for the entire package - offspinner competent, fielder exceptional, motivator most welcome.

Raina is no stranger to cricket on the big stage. He shouldn't be, given that his international debut was as far back as in 2005 when he arrived as a young kid with tremendous potential. Some then called him the poor man's Yuvraj; Raina has gone on to carve a niche for himself, though he himself is desirous of embracing and carrying out the same role that Yuvraj Singh did in 2011, when his all-round brilliance drove the Indian team to the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow."I have always batted lower down the order and in the previous World Cup, when I didn't play the bulk of the matches, I observed Yuvi and saw how he used to finish games for the side," Raina told bcci.tv, not long after his pivotal 74 against Pakistan at the Adelaide Oval on Sunday (February 15) night. "I want to play Yuvraj Singh's role in this World Cup. I want to field, bowl and bat well."

That's not a bad role to want to play. Yuvraj, of course, was the Player of the Tournament four years ago, making attractive runs, picking up important wickets at crucial times and raising his fielding levels that had fallen since the knee injury during Champions Trophy 2006. Raina had had the opportunity to watch Yuvraj finish a game from close quarters in his very first World Cup appearance. Brought in for the Ahmedabad quarterfinal against Australia as India finally dumped their failing experiment with Yusuf Pathan, Raina walked in with the tension mounting, 74 needed off 75 with five wickets remaining. Australia had evicted Gautam Gambhir and Dhoni in the space of 25 deliveries, this was India's last recognised pair, Yuvraj was in some strife and Raina was on his World Cup debut. Talk about baptism by fire.

Australia sensed an opening. Their World Cup defence on the line, they gave it their all. Brett Lee, Shaun Tait and Mitchell Johnson all came steaming in, seeking to cash in on Raina's nerves and his susceptibility against the short ball. Despite his physical struggles, Yuvraj looked safe as houses; he also steered Raina through the nervy opening period, after which India just got on the bike and motored away. In the end, India won with 14 deliveries to spare, Raina's contribution an unbeaten 34 off 28 deliveries.

Raina's World Cup career, such as it is, is pretty impressive. In three digs, his lowest completed score is the 74 he made on Sunday. He averages 144, aided by two not outs, and his strike rate is a touch over 117. Admittedly, the database is too small for too much to be read into these numbers, apart from the fact that Raina can do serious damage once he gets in.

Against Pakistan, Raina was able to walk in on the back of a 129-run second-wicket stand between Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli. At 163 for 2 midway through the 30th over, India were primed to kick on. Dhoni sent Raina out at No. 4 because of the game situation - 20 overs to the end of the innings - and to maintain the left-right balance that wasn't upset despite Dhawan's dismissal.

"You specialise your game according to a general pattern," explained Dhoni. "Raina, usually he should be in around the 30-over stage, plus or minus two-four overs, that's his bracket. That way, he gets to play a few overs before the powerplay, to see the bounce of the pitch, and then he can accelerate. The longer he bats, the more difficult it is to stop him.

"That's the role assigned to him and in this game, he did it perfectly well. He was provided with a platform where he could go in and be a bit more expressive. What we liked was he took a few deliveries initially and then went on to play the big shots. He was more calculative in his innings, and he picked his areas where he wanted to hit. He read the bowlers well, where they wanted to bowl. He put pressure, and that's what it's all about. If you can put pressure on the bowlers, you'll push them to commit more mistakes by bowling in areas where they don't want to bowl. I think his innings was special."

Raina made 75 off 56 with five fours and three sixes, his boundary hitting restricted exclusive to the leg side. The ease with which he can clear the ropes meant not even the presence of four men on the fence deterred him; he made 72 of the 110-run stand with a well-set Kohli, who later was all praise for the manner in which Raina batted. "It was a two-paced surface, it wasn't as easy to bat on as Raina made it appear," Kohli, 107 off 126 deliveries, was to say admiringly, almost a trace enviously.

The word going around the international circuit is that Raina is a sitting duck against the short ball. Mooen Ali has been bounced out more than once by India themselves, George Bailey recently closed his eyes and his face was directed towards point as he fended Stuart Broad to short-leg in Perth earlier this month. 5178 runs and 208 ODIs later, however, it is still Raina who is the sitting duck. At an average of 35.71, a strike rate of 93.38. Mainly batting at 5s and 6s. If a sitting duck can throw up those numbers, give me a few more of those, I say.

Yuvi! Yuvi! Yuvi!

Yuvraj Singh at a promotional event in January 2013.

Yuvraj Singh at a promotional event in January 2013.

Yuvraj Singh (born 12 December 1981) is an Indian international cricketer. He is an all-rounder who bats left-handed in the middle-order and bowls slow left-arm orthodox. He is the son of former Indian fast bowler and Punjabi actor Yograj Singh. Yuvraj has been a member of the Indian cricket team in ODIs since 2000 and played his first Test match in 2003. He was the vice-captain of the Indian ODI team between 2007-2008. He was the Man of the Tournament in the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup, and one of the top performers at the 2007 ICC World Twenty20, both of which India won. In a match against England at the 2007 World Twenty20, he famously hit six sixes in one over bowled by Stuart Broad — a feat performed only three times previously in any form of senior cricket, and never in an international match between two Test cricket teams.

Yuvraj during his cancerous tumour.

In 2011, Yuvraj was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor in his left lung and underwent chemotherapy treatment in Boston and Indianapolis. In March 2012, he was discharged from the hospital after completing the third and final cycle of chemotherapy and returned to India in April. He made his international comeback in a Twenty20 match in September against New Zealand shortly before the 2012 World Twenty20.

Yuvraj was conferred with the Arjuna Award, India's second highest sporting award, in the year 2012 by the President of India Pranab Mukherjee. In 2014, he was awarded the Padma Shri, India's fourth highest civilian honor.

Early years and personal life

Yuvraj during his childhood.(from left to right: Yuvi;
his mother and his little brother)

Yuvraj was born to parents Yograj Singh and Shabnam Singh. After his parents divorced, Yuvraj chose to stay with his mother. Tennis and roller skating were Yuvraj's favorite sports during his childhood and he was quite good at both. He had also won the National U-14 Roller Skating Championship. His father threw away the medal and told him to forget skating and concentrate on cricket.He would take Yuvraj to training every day. He studied at the DAV Public School in Chandigarh. He also did two short roles as child star in Mehndi Sajda Di and Putt Sardara.

Career

Youth career

Yuvraj started his career from the Punjab Under-16s at the age of 13 years and 11 months in November of the 1995–96 season againstJammu and Kashmir-16s. In 1996–97, Yuvraj was promoted to the Punjab Under-19s and scored 137 not out against Himachal Pradesh Under-19s.

Yuvraj made his first-class debut in late-1997 against Orissa during the 1997/98 Ranji Trophy season. In that match, he did not score any runs. His first breakout performance came in the Under-19 Cooch Behar Trophy Final of 1999 against Bihar; Bihar were all out with a score of 357 and Yuvraj opened for Punjab and he made 358 runs alone. Yuvraj represented India in the series against Sri Lanka Under-19s in India in February 1999. In the third ODI, Yuvraj scored 89 runs from 55 balls. In 1999-2000 Ranji Trophy, he scored 149 against Haryana.

In the ICC Under-19 World Cup 1999/00 which India won under the captaincy of Mohammed Kaif, Yuvraj's all-round performance earned him the Player of the Tournament award and a call to the national squad. His performance in the tournament included a quickfire 58 off 25 balls against Australia in the semis  and, 68 (62) and 4/36 against New Zealand in a group stage match. Yuvraj was subsequently selected in 2000 for the first intake of the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore.

International breakthrough

Yuvraj during his ODI debut.

Yuvraj was selected in the Indian squad for the 2000 ICC KnockOut Trophy in the back of his impressive outings for the Under-19 team. He made his international debut against Kenya in the pre-quarterfinal. He bowled four overs conceding 16 runs but did not get to bat. In the quarterfinal match against Australia, Yuvraj won the man of the match for his innings of 84 (80), against a pace attack consisting of Glenn McGrath, Brett Lee and Jason Gillespie, that helped India win by 20 runs. In the semifinal against South Africa, he scored 41 and picked 1/15. He scored only 14 against New Zealand in the final which India lost. The tournament was followed by a tri-series involving India, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe. Yuvraj scored just 55 runs in five innings at an average of 11. Yuvraj averaged 15.50 in the ODI series against the touring Zimbabwe side in December 2000 after which he was dropped from the team.

Yuvraj made his comeback during the 2001 Coca-Cola Cup in Sri Lanka. He scored a crucial 98* against Sri Lanka in the fifth match in an otherwise disappointing series with the bat.However, he proved to be useful with the ball as he picked up 8 wickets at an average of 27. In the Standard Bank triangular series involving hosts South Africa, India and Kenya, Yuvraj managed to score only 69 runs from 6 innings, including a duck in the final against South Africa. Following this, Dinesh Mongia and Hemang Badani were chosen over Yuvraj in the squad for the home series against England in January 2002.

Yuvraj returned to playing domestic cricket in early-2002. After a disappointing run in the Ranji knockouts, Yuvraj struck 209 for North Zone against South Zone in a Duleep Trophy match in March 2002. He was immediately drafted into the national squad for the final two ODIs against Zimbabwe with India trailing the series 1-2. Yuvraj made impact in his return match at Hyderabad, scoring an unbeaten 80 off just 60 balls, to take India to a five-wicket win and level the series. He won the Man of the Match award for his efforts. In the final ODI at Guwahati, Yuvraj made 75 runs from 52 balls, sharing a 157-run fifth-wicket partnership with Mongia who scored his career-best unbeaten 159, to help India post a total of 333 in their 50 overs. India went on to win the game by 101 runs and the series 3-2.

2002 NatWest Series

After winning the ODI series in the West Indies 2-1, where Yuvraj managed scores of 1 and 10, the Indian team toured England in June for the NatWest triangular series and a four-match Test series against the hosts. The NatWest Series featured teams from England and Sri Lanka, apart from India. In the first match at Lord's, Yuvraj won the man of the match for his all-round performance (3/39 and 64*) as India successfully chased down England's total of 271. In the next match against Sri Lanka, Yuvraj scored 31 and shared a crucial 60-run sixth-wicket partnership with Mohammad Kaif to set up another successful run-chase. India's next match against England was washed out due to rain after Yuvraj had scored an unbeaten 40 off 19 balls to take India to 285/4 in their 50 overs. Yuvraj's knock of 37, along with a fifty from Rahul Dravid, helped India recover from 59/4 to reach the target of 188 against Sri Lanka. This win eliminated Sri Lanka from the series with another round of matches still to be played. Yuvraj had scores of 5 and 8 in the final round of matches but proved to be useful with the ball as he picked one wicket in each of the two games. At the end of the round-robin matches, India topped the points table with 19 points while England finished second with 15 points.

The final was played at Lord's on 13 July between India and England. After winning the toss and electing to bat first, England posted a daunting total of 325/5 in 50 overs. In reply, India were struggling at 146/5 at the end of 24 overs, when Kaif joined Yuvraj at the crease. The pair initially stabilised the innings and later scored at a brisk rate. The duo shared a partnership of 121 runs for the sixth wicket which came to an end when Yuvraj was dismissed for 69 (63 balls) as he top-edged a sweep shot in the 42nd over off the bowling of Paul Collingwood resulting in a simple catch to Alex Tudor at short fine leg. India went on to win the game by two wickets with three balls to spare. This was India's first win in the final of an ODI tournament since 2000, after nine consecutive defeats. This win is regarded as one of India's greatest victories in ODI cricket.

2002/03–2004

Yuvraj batted in two games of the 2002 ICC Champions Trophy which was held in Sri Lanka in September. He scored 3 against Zimbabwe in the opening match, and 62 in the semifinal against South Africa. In November 2002, Yuvraj struggled in the first five games of the 7-match ODI series against West Indies, with a high score of 30. He returned to form in the sixth ODI at Jodhpur with a crucial half-century that helped India win the match by three wickets and level the series 3-3. He top-scored for India in the 7th match with a 69-ball 68, but could not get support from any other batsman. India crashed to a 135-run defeat and lost the series. Yuvraj struggled for runs in the 7-match ODI series in New Zealand in December 2002-January 2003, averaging just above 19 with a solitary fifty.

Despite his indifferent form leading to the World Cup, Yuvraj secured a place in the 15-man Indian squad for the 2003 ICC Cricket World Cup in South Africa. Yuvraj scored 37 in India's opening match against Netherlands. In the following games, he had scores of 0, 1 and 7* against Australia, Zimbabwe and Namibia respectively. He scored a brisk 42 against England, followed by an unbeaten 50 against Pakistan setting up wins for India in both games. In the Super Six stage of the tournament, Yuvraj had scores of 58* against Kenya, and 5 against Sri Lanka. He scored 16 in the semifinal against Kenya, and 24 against Australia in the final.

Yuvraj scored his maiden ODI century (102* from 85 balls) against Bangladesh at Dhaka on 11 April 2003. In May 2003, Yuvraj was signed by the Yorkshire County Cricket Club for the 2003 county season. Yuvraj became only the second Indian after Sachin Tendulkar to represent the county. Yuvraj's Test debut came on 16 October 2003 at his home ground Mohali against New Zealand. Batting at six, he scored 20 in the first innings, and 5* in the second innings. In the TVS Cup tri-series in October–November 2003 involving India, Australia and New Zealand, Yuvraj scored 113 runs from 7 games at an average of 18.83 and top-score of 44.

Yuvraj returned to form in early-2004 in the tri-series involving Australia and Zimbabwe. He scored 314 runs from 8 innings at an average of 39.25, including his second ODI hundred - 139 runs from 122 balls, with 16 fours and two sixes - against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Yuvraj had a mixed tour of Pakistan in March–April 2004. He disappointed in the ODI series with 141 runs from 5 matches, averaging just over 28, but found success in the Test series. In the first Test at Multan, Yuvraj scored 59 - his maiden Test fifty - as India registered an innings win. He also picked up his maiden Test wicket during the second innings of Pakistan. In the second Test at Lahore, Yuvraj scored his maiden Test century during India's first innings while the rest of the batting lineup struggled against the bowling of Umar Gul. Yuvraj's innings of 112 came from 129 deliveries with 15 fours and two sixes. He made only 12 runs in the second innings and Pakistan leveled the series by winning the match by 9 wickets. He scored 47 in the final Test at Rawalpindi where India secured the series with another innings victory. However, he lost his form in the latter half of 2004 with batting averages of 31 in the 2004 Asia Cup, 12.33 in the Natwest Series in England and 4.50 in the 2004 ICC Champions Trophy. In October 2004, after the first two Tests of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, he was dropped from the Test squad as his dismal run with the bat yielded just 47 runs from the two matches.

2005–2006: Revival in form

Despite the dip in form towards the end of 2004, Yuvraj continued to be a regular feature in the Indian ODI team. In the Platinum Jubilee Match against Pakistan in November 2004, Yuvraj scored a 62-ball 78 in a losing cause. In December 2004, Yuvraj scored 94 runs at an average of 31.33 in the three-match ODI tour of Bangladesh including a blistering knock of 69 from 32 balls in the final ODI at Dhaka. He had a disappointing ODI series at home against Pakistan in April 2005, scoring 98 runs in six matches at 19.60.

In July–August 2005, Yuvraj was the leading run-getter for India in the 2005 Indian Oil Cup triangular series in Sri Lanka also involving the hosts Sri Lanka and West Indies. He scored 192 runs in four matches, averaging 48. He also recorded his third ODI century during the series - 110 runs from 114 balls (11 fours and one six) - against West Indies at Colombo for which he was awarded the man of the match. Yuvraj then played in the Videocon Cup in August–September 2005, a triangular series involving India, New Zealand and the hosts Zimbabwe. He averaged 54 with the bat in the series, scoring 216 runs from 5 matches. His innings of 120, in the final round-robin match against Zimbabwe at Harare, helped India recover from a precarious position of 36-4 and successfully chase down the target of 251. It was his fourth ODI hundred and he won the man of the match award for his efforts. In the two-match Test tour of Zimbabwe that followed the tri-series in September, Yuvraj had scores of 12 and 25. In October–November 2005, Yuvraj had a quiet seven-match ODI series at home against Sri Lanka. He managed just 124 runs in six innings at an average of 31 with a top-score of 79*.

In November 2005, Yuvraj scored 103 in the first ODI against South Africa at Hyderabad to take India from 35-5 to a respectable total of 249-9. Yuvraj won the man of the match award although South Africa won the game by five wickets. He picked up 1/17 and scored the winning runs in the second ODI at Bangalore, before the third match at Chennai was washed out due to rain. He scored 53 and 49 in the final two matches at Delhi and Ahmedabad respectively, and the series was drawn 2-2. Yuvraj and South African captain Graeme Smith were jointly awarded the man of the series as each of them scored 209 runs at 69.66, finishing as joint-highest run-getters of the series.^[56] Yuvraj had a mixed home Test series against Sri Lanka in December 2005 as he registered two ducks and two half-centuries. He scored 0 & 77* in the second Test at Delhi, and 0 & 75 in the third Test at Ahmedabad as India won both the matches by comfortable margins.

Yuvraj was picked in both Test and ODI squads for the Pakistan tour in January–February 2006. The first two Tests were drawn in which Yuvraj batted only once, in the second Test, scoring 4. In the third Test at Karachi, Yuvraj top-scored for India in both innings. After scoring 45 in the first innings, he went to score his second Test hundred in the second innings (122 runs from 144 balls). India lost the match by 341 runs and the series 1-0. In the one-day series, he continued to be in sublime form. He scored a 28-ball 39 in the first ODI at Peshawar which Pakistan won by 7 runs by Duckworth–Lewis method. He scored an unbeaten 82 in the second match at Rawalpindi taking India to an emphatic 7-wicket win, before scoring an unbeaten 79 in the third game at Lahore and helping India successfully chase the target of 289. In the low-scoring fourth match at Multan, Yuvraj scored 37 as India took the series with a five-wicket victory.In the fifth and the final ODI at Karachi, Yuvraj, batting at three, hit his sixth ODI century. His innings of 107* which came off 93 balls with 13 boundaries, helped India comfortably chase down the target of 287 for the loss of only two wickets. He won the man of the match award for this innings and was also adjudged player of the series. Against England, Yuvraj averaged 21.33 in two Tests in March but proved to be successful with both bat and ball in the ODI series in which he again won the player of the series award. During the series, Yuvraj won back-to-back man of the match awards in the third and fourth ODIs. In the third match, he made 103 from 76 balls, and in the fourth match, he picked 2/34 and scored 48. He scored a total of 237 runs in the series at an average of 47.40 and picked up 6 wickets with his part-time bowling.

2007-2011

Yuvraj hiting Six sixes.

On 19 September 2007 against England in the inaugural ICC World Twenty20 Super 8 match held at Kingsmead in Durban, he hit 6 Sixes in an over off Stuart Broad. This helped him to reach the fastest fifty ever in a Twenty20 game, off just 12 balls and also the fastest in any form of international cricket. This was the fourth time that six sixes had been hit in one over in senior cricket, the first time in Twenty20 cricket, and the first time in any form of international cricket against a bowler from a Test playing nation. He has also hit the longest six of the tournament: 119 metres (390 ft) off Australian bowler Brett Lee. Yuvraj was awarded a Porsche 911 for his 6 sixes achievement by the Vice President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Lalit Modi. Yuvraj also received Rs.10,000,000 (US$252,716) in cash from the BCCI for his performance in the tournament. He is also the first Indian player to cross 100 Sixes in Twenty 20 matches.

Yuvraj also scored 70 runs off 30 balls and went on to claim the Man of the Match against Australia in the World Twenty20 semifinals at Durban.

In September 2007, he was named as the ODI vice-captain of Mahendra Singh Dhoni after the resignation of Rahul Dravid. He then scored 121 in a losing cause during India's One-day International series defeat at the hands of Australia before enjoying a return to form as India beat Pakistan 3-2 on home soil in November 2007. He was named Man of the series. In the five matches, he scored four half-centuries, although he was fined after showing dissent in the final match in Jaipur. Yuvraj was included in India's Test squad to face Pakistan in November 2007, but was not included in the playing 11 for the first test. Yuvraj was picked in the 3rd Test due to an injured Sachin Tendulkar. India was 61/4 before he and Sourav Ganguly made a 300 run partnership with Yuvraj recording his highest Test score of 169. He had a very poor Test series against Australia in Indian tour to that country in 2007/08. After his poor showing in the first two Tests he was dropped for the remainder of the series. In November 2008, he hit 138 not out from 78 balls against England at Rajkot, taking 64 balls to reach his century which at the time was the second fastest by an Indian in ODIs after Mohammad Azharuddin's century in 1988 against New Zealand came off 62 balls. After reaching 50 from 42 balls, he added a further 88 in the next 36 balls. He did so despite straining his back, which necessitated the use of Gautam Gambhir as a runner. This was followed by 118 from 122 balls and a 4/28 all his wickets being specialist batsmen in the next match in Indore, earning him two consecutive man of the match awards. Yuvraj scored 85 not out put on an unbroken partnership of 163 with Sachin Tendulkarto defeat England in the First Test at Chennai in December 2008. It was the fourth highest successful run chase in history and the highest in India. Yuvraj scores a quick, unbeaten 54 in the second innings of the Napier Test against New Zealand to help India save the game after following on. India preserves their lead and go on to win the series 1-0. Yuvraj is dropped from the Asia Cup following the team's return from the World Twenty20 in West Indies. Lack of form, disciplinary reasons and fitness are talked of as the reasons for his exclusion, but he makes a return for the series against Sri Lanka. With Suresh Raina scoring a century on Test debut and Cheteshwar Pujara making a compelling case for higher honors with his consistent first-class performances, Yuvraj is dropped from the Test squad for the two-match series against Australia. World Cup was dream for Yuvraj as he scores 362 runs including one century and four fifties takes 15 wickets, wins four Man-of-the-Match awards and is also Player of the Tournament. In the process, he becomes the first allrounder to score 300-plus runs and take 15 wickets in a single World Cup. In the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup, in India's match against Ireland, he became the first player to take 5 Wickets and score 50 runs in a World Cup match. He took his 100th ODI wicket, with the dismissal of Wesley Barresi in the 2011 World Cup match against the Netherlands. In the 2011 World Cup till he took charge of the chase against defending champions Australia. In recent years, he has added value to the side through his improved off spin. In the ICC World Cup 2011, he has thus far won the Man of the Match award four times, which is joint best with Sri Lanka's Aravinda de Silva in 1996 and South Africa's Lance Klusener in 1999. Yuvraj had respiratory difficulties through 2011 and in May he withdrew from the ODI series in the West Indies due to an illness. He toured England but had to return home after breaking his finger in the Nottingham Test and later played two home Tests against West Indies. However, he then pulled out of the ODI series against West Indies in November citing an abnormal tumor in his lung. Yuvraj had originally targeted the CB series in Australia for his return to international cricket.

His issues began with breathing difficulties, nausea and bouts of vomiting blood during India's successful run through the 2011 World Cup, which he ended as the player of the tournament. In 2011, he was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor stage-1 in his left lung and underwent chemotherapy treatment at the Cancer Research Institute in Boston, USA as well as the Indiana University Melvin & Bren Simon Cancer Center in Indianapolis, Indiana where we was cared for by famed oncologist Dr. Lawrence Einhorn. His mother Shabnam Singh was with him during his diagnosis in USA.

2012-2014

In March 2012, Yuvraj was discharged from hospital after completing the third and final cycle of chemotherapy and returned to India in April.

After his chemotherapy sessions treating seminoma in Indianapolis, Yuvraj's cancer showing full signs of remission, he aimed at resuming cricket at the World Twenty20. The selectors picked Yuvraj Singh to be a part of the 15-member Indian squad for the World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka in September, 2012.

He played against New Zealand in a T20I at Chennai where he scored 34 off 26 balls (1 four, 2 sixes) as his side lost by only 1 run. He started his World Twenty20 campaign with a 3/24 against Afghanistan. He took 1/16 against Australia, 2/16 against Pakistan and a 2/23 against South Africa. He ended up being the highest wicket taker for India in the tournament, though he could not match up to the expectations with his bat.

He got selected to the Test series against England at home, and while preparing for test, he played a single Duleep Trophy match against Central Zone at Hyderabad where he scored 208 off 241 balls (33 fours and 3 sixes) before being caught and bowled by Murali Kartik. Then he also starred in a first class match against England as a member of India A cricket team, where he scored 59 (7 fours and 4 sixes), and took 5/94 at Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai. He later played 3 test matches in the 4 match test series against England after which he was dropped. He later was selected for the India Pakistan Series in the second T20 he came back to form by scoring a blistering 72 off just 36 balls. He could not make an impact in the One Day series against Pakistan and England only scoring 1 half century in 7 matches. He did not have a very good IPL troubled by a back injury and bad form he was dropped from the squad for the Champions Trophy and Zimbabwe series. He made a come back through India A against West Indies A series scoring 123 off just 89 balls in the first ODI followed by 40 off 58 balls and 61 off 59 balls.

In September 2013, Yuvraj made a comeback to India's limited-over’s squad for the Twenty20 and first three ODIs of the home series against Australia. However, following a fitness programme in France, he has shown a return to top form in List A cricket.

He was the leading run-getter for India A in the limited-overs series against the touring West Indies A, with 224 runs from three matches, including one hundred and a fifty at an average of 74.66. He also scored a half-century for India Blue in the Challenger Trophy, a domestic 50-overs tournament.

In October 2013, Yuvraj scored 77 off 35 showed his dominance in the only T20I against Australia at Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot. India was facing an asking-rate of nearly 12 at 100 for 4 in the 12th over but Yuvraj's response was so forceful that all Dhoni needed to do was give him the strike. By the end, the partnership was 102 at exactly two runs a ball. But Yuvraj had a woeful home ODI series against Australia in October, scoring 19 runs in four innings, when he was visibly troubled by the pace of Mitchell Johnson.

He couldn't bat himself back into form in the home ODIs against West Indies or on the South Africa tour and was expected to be dropped for the New Zealand tour given the conditions in that country and the hosts' pace-heavy attack.

In February 2014, Yuvraj was bought by the Royal Challengers Bangalore for a whopping 14 crore. Kingfisher Airlines employee union sent a letter to Yuvraj. It requests him not to play forRoyal Challengers Bangalore.

He was not selected for Asia Cup 2014 in Bangladesh but he selected for the World T20 same place. Yuvraj performances in the practice matches were major boosts for India ahead of the World T20.

In Super 10 match against he missed a full delivery and was bowled second ball. In both matches, he put down what could have been costly misses Chris Gayle and Mohammad Hafeez but India created and converted more chances soon after. His solitary over in the tournament so far went for 13.

Yuvraj Singh scored 60 of 43 balls is his third fifty against Australia at Mirpur and his eighth in T20Is. Yuvraj has gone past Gautam Gambhir to become the top run-scorer for India in T20 internationals.

He had 84-run partnership with Mahendra Singh Dhoni is India's third-highest for the fifth wicket. India's highest partnership for the fifth wicket came in their last match against the same opposition, when Yuvraj and Dhoni added 102 while chasing 202 in Rajkot.

On 5 July 2014, he played for the Rest of the World XI against MCC in the Bicentenary Celebration match at Lord's, as he had been left out of India's ODI team. Under Shane Warne's captaincy, he struck almost a-run-a-ball century to rescue his team who had been struggling at 59 for 3. His 100 came up as he hit Sachin Tendulkar for a boundary. Tendulkar later got his revenge when he got out Yuvraj for 132. Rest of the World finished on 293 for 7 after 50 overs, but MCC went on to win the match by 7 wickets. Notably, Yuvraj was one of the five senior Team India players who weren't considered for the 2015 World Cup. He was not included in Team India's 30-man probables list for the ICC World Cup 2015. Yuvraj Singh scored three centuries in Ranji Trophy 2014 against Haryana (130), Maharashtra (136 ) and Saurashtra (182). Yurvaj is currently the highest scorer in the Ranji tournament with 567 runs at an average of 94.50.

Playing style

Yuvraj during his fielding practice.

Yuvraj is primarily a left-handed batsman but can bowl part-time left-arm orthodox spin, which he improved in the latter part of his career. He is not regarded as a better batsman against fast bowling than spin bowling, and cites the Indian Oil Cup 2005 as a turning point in his career. Yuvraj is one of the athletic fielders in the Indian team, fielding primarily at point & covers with a good aim at the stumps. Yuvraj is a natural strokeplayer with an aggressive style of play, as seen by his strike rate of above 150 in T20 internationals & just below 90 in ODIs. Many regard him as one of the best clean strikers of the ball, with his trademark punch through the covers a treat to watch. When in good touch, he can clear the ropes quite effortlessly. A Cricinfo report published in late 2005 showed that since 1999, he was the fourth most prolific fielder in affecting ODI run outs, and of those on the list of prolific fielders, he had the second highest rate of effecting a run out. He was previously often characterised as having attitude problems, but later often assumed leadership positions during Rahul Dravid's tenure as captain. He have also knocked 6 sixes in a row in the over of Stuart Broad in ICC T20 World Cup 2007 in a crucial stage of the game.The Board of Control for Cricket in India nominated Yuvraj Singh for the Arjuna Award, after his man of the series performance in the 2011 World Cup.Yuvraj's much awaited second innings after 10 month sabbatical was washed out by rain on 8 Sep. However he made his entry on 11 September 2012 in the second and final T20 match of the series. In February 2014, he was honored with FICCI Most Inspiring Sportsperson of the Year Award.

Indian Premier League

He was the icon player and captain for Indian Premier League (IPL) team Kings XI Punjab in the first two seasons; in 2010, the third season, icon player status was abolished and the captaincy given to Kumar Sangakkara. They came second in the round-robin phase of the tournament, but lost their semi-final to the Chennai Super Kings. On 1 May 2009, Yuvraj picked up his first hat-trick in T20 cricket against Royal Challengers Bangalore at Kingsmead in Durban, the same ground where he hit his six sixes. He dismissed Robin Uthappa, Mark Boucher and Jacques Kallis. On 17 May 2009, Yuvraj picked up his second Twenty20 hat-trick against Deccan Chargers at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg. Yuvraj dismissed Herschelle Gibbs, Andrew Symonds and Venugopal Rao.

The Pune Warriors were a new team introduced for the 2011 IPL. Yuvraj Singh was bought by the team and chosen as captain.^[76] Pune Warriors finished ninth, ahead of only the Delhi Daredevils. From 14 matches, Yuvraj scored 343 runs at an average of 34.30, including two half-centuries. After much controversy BCCI had allowed Pune Warriors to have his replacement for 2012 Indian Premier League, citing his medical condition and nonavailability for 2012 IPL due to the same. In 2014, Yuvraj was bought by the Royal Challengers Bangalore for a whopping 14 crore. Kingfisher employee union sent a letter to Yuvraj. It requests him not to play for Royal Challengers Bangalore. In 2015 he was bought by Delhi Daredevils for a mammoth Rs. 16 Crores 

Commercial interests

Yuvraj during his shooting for Ulysee Nardin watch.

Yuvraj was signed by Microsoft to be a brand ambassador for the Xbox 360 video game console when it was launched in India in 2006. He appeared in advertisements for the console alongside Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar. Codemasters' cricket video game Brian Lara International Cricket 2007 was released with his endorsement in India, titled "Yuvraj Singh International Cricket 2007". The Bollywood animated film, Jumbo features cricketer Yuvraj Singh's voice therefore starting his career in Bollywood. The upcoming animated full-length feature film Captain India features Yuvraj Singh as the main protagonist.Yuvraj has also been involved in sports based e-commerce; he is a brand ambassador of sports365.in, an online store focused on selling sports goods and fitness equipment. Yuvraj is also the brand ambassador for the famous sports brand Puma. He was appointed as the brand ambassador of Ulysse Nardin watch in 2013.

Achievements

• He won the National U-14 Roller Skating Championship.
• He had been a member of Indian Cricket Team in ODIs since 2000.
• He was awarded a Porsche 911 in 2007 by the vice president of BCCI.
• He was vice-captain of the ODI team in 2007-2008.
• In a 2007 ICC World Twenty20 match, he hit six sixes in a single over.
• He was the top performer at ICC World Twenty20 2007.
• He became the First All Rounder to score 300 plus runs and to take 15 wickets in a single World Cup.
• He was the Man of the Series in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011.
• He was awarded with the Arjuna Award (India's second highest, Sporting Award) in 2012 by the President of India.
• He was the highest Wicket Taker of India in the Tournament of T20I 2012.
• In 2014, he was awarded with the Padma Shri Award.

Book written

The Test of My Life : From Cricket to Cancer and Back.