India has won the ODI World Cup twice: once in the year 1983 and again in 2011. People witnessed exhilarating scenes during the 2011 World Cup, which took place in India. There was a match between India and the West Indies in which Yuvraj Singh came to bat, and fans suddenly realized he was not well but continued hitting the ball. That day, we saw him vomiting blood on the ground, suffering with chest pain and a continuous cough. Everyone thought he would leave the ground, and for some people, hopes for the World Cup victory started to fade because Yuvraj Singh was the backbone of the Indian cricket team in that edition of the World Cup. However, he did not leave. Despite his declining health, he continued hitting the ball up and over the rope. This man, battling cancer, scored a century that day and took a couple of wickets. It's a match that cannot be forgotten by Indian cricket fans. India ultimately won the World Cup that year, and I must say it happened only because of this man. He was named the Player of the Series in that tournament.
Everyone thought the 2011 World Cup would mark Yuvraj Singh's final match, but he had other plans. He went to the USA for cancer treatment and did not lose hope. He overcame cancer and started playing cricket again. I must say, “Never lose hope” is perfectly exemplified by Yuvraj Singh. In March 2012, he was discharged from the hospital after completing the third and final cycle of chemotherapy and announced his return to the Indian cricket team in September against New Zealand.
There was a T20 match between India and England. That year, the ICC introduced the T20 World Cup, and Yuvraj Singh made a record by hitting six sixes in an over and scoring the fastest half-century in just 12 balls, a record that remains unbeaten in cricket history and Yuvraj Singh is the only player to have won the Player of the Series award in both the T20 World Cup (2007) and the ODI World Cup (2011) on the winning side.
Yuvraj Singh's story did not end there. After his comeback, he achieved many things. He was the highest-bid player in the 2013 and 2014 IPL auctions and won two IPL trophies after his comeback. In June 2019, the legend Yuvraj Singh retired from international cricket. Even today, he plays for the Indian Masters cricket team and remains a phenomenal fielder and a significant asset for the team. Yuvraj Singh was born in 1981, but for me, his rebirth was in 2012 when jersey number 12 returned to the field like a lion and a legend. Today, he is in this state because he trusted his process and kept his hope alive.
