Legendary India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh recently recalled the most challenging phase of his life, sharing how he came to know about his cancer diagnosis while playing for the Indian National Cricket Team. Yuvraj was India’s best performer in the 2011 World Cup despite dealing with fatigue, nausea and discomfort. His illness was not detected, as his focus was on winning the global tournament for the country.
The tests were conducted after the conclusion of the ICC tournament, and the reports revealed the was suffering from a rare form of cancer, with a tumor in his chest. He had to leave cricket to travel to the USA for the treatment.
“I couldn’t come to terms with it as you are not supposed to get sick as a sportsman. You are supposed to represent your country. I was getting sick again and again while playing cricket,” Yuvraj said in a conversation with Michael Vaughan on The Overlap podcast.
He was taken aback when doctors informed him about his serious condition. “The doctor said to me, ‘I have seen your scan and the tumor is sitting between your heart and lung. You might have a heart attack if you continue playing cricket. You got three to six months left if you don’t go for chemotherapy.’”
It forced Yuvraj to rethink his conditions. “I started thinking about my next step. It was not easy, as it was difficult to come to terms with what I was going through,” he mentioned.
He underwent chemotherapy in the United States during 2011–12. “There was a possibility of my not playing cricket again, and I took a year to accept it. But once the treatment was over, I decided to give my best shot to play cricket despite people not believing me.”
Yuvraj Singh is a role model for those who are facing hardships in their lives.
