I would ask God why cancer had to happen to Yuvraj: Tendulkar

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It was a poignant occasion and the entire Indian cricket team, along with a sizeable gathering of well-wishers and the media, was at hand to be with Yuvraj Singh at the release of his memoir, The Test Of My Life.

The book talks about Yuvraj's successful battle with a rare germ cell cancer. The dashing batsman has shared his experiences "so that someone else can feel they are not alone when the chips are down."

Many of Yuvraj's illustrious teammates like Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni, Virender Sehwag and Virat Kohli recalled the moments spent with him after Tendulkar launched the book formally at a city hotel on Tuesday evening. One by one, the cricketers came to the stage and shared vignettes from their association with Yuvraj.

But it was Tendulkar who had everyone wiping a tear from their eyes when he recalled how he was scared of breaking down in front of Yuvraj when he had met him in London after his treatment in the US.

"When I went to meet him in London, I was telling my wife (Anjali) that I don't want to break down when I see him. I met him and gave him a tight hug. We enjoyed a meal and from the way he (Yuvraj) ate, I was convinced that he is back on track," Tendulkar said.

"When I saw my wife discussing medical terms with Yuvraj, I realised what he has been going through. He is like my younger brother and I would ask God why it (the illness) had to happen to Yuvraj," Tendulkar said.



Even Dhoni recalled how he got a shock of his life when someone told him about Yuvraj's illness. "When his test reports came, someone told me he had cancer. I just said 'are you sure'. The person repeated what he had said. I was shocked," Dhoni admitted.

The pair then recalled their 2011 World Cup triumph. Yuvraj started off by saying, "Dhoni does not talk too much while batting. But when he got out against Australia in the quarterfinals, while going back he told me 'shaabash Yuvi, jitake aana.'" Yuvraj did guide the team to a famous victory with an unbeaten 57.

In lighter vein, Dhoni remembered how Yuvraj greeted him when the present captain first joined the Indian team back in 2004-05. "Are bhai kya chal raha hai, sirf chakke maarne se kuchch nahi hota, match jitaane se jyada appreciation milta hai." Dhoni recalled, "First, I used to refer to him as aap. From then it came down to tum and now it is just tu."

Kohli recalled that he had gone to Yuvraj's room during the 2011 World Cup and found that he was coughing with a lot with medicines lying at the bedside.

"I asked him why are you coughing so much. And he replied that he had cancer. I thought it's his habit of fooling around with people. I told him not to joke and I left the room," Kohli said.

When the anchor asked Yuvraj how did Kohli get the nickname 'Chickoo,' he said, "When he came to the team I thought he resembled a baby bulldog. But now he has surpassed me in all departments, including being the most eligible bachelor."

Harbhajan Singh also had his share of fun. "During Yuvi's illness, I never spoke on that subject."


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Keywords: Indian cricket team, Yuvraj, germ cell cancer,Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni, Virender Sehwag , Virat Kohli, wife Anjali, Yuvraj's illness,World Cup triumph, nickname 'Chickoo,Harbhajan Singh ,cricket news,sports news