Yuvraj Singh: Return of the Prince

As curtain falls on the Tests and rises on the T20s, Yuvraj Singh takes centre stage. Not just for the fact that the left-hander is making his comeback in Team India colours for the first time since November last year, but mainly because curtains have finally fallen on Yuvraj's testing times. And it now rises on his second cricketing life.

Just six months after undergoing his last chemotherapy session in Indianapolis, Yuvraj is ready to take the cricket field in blue — having first fought a rare germ-cell cancer called mediastinal seminoma and then its after-effects. But that then has been the story of his life. A never-ending narrative of being a fighter.

He withstood huge physical discomfort during the 2011 World Cup, but still emerged as the player of the tournament for India. Later that year, he was diagnosed with cancer. But the 30-year-old refused to budge, winning the battle of his life. Now, in Vizag with the T20 side, Yuvraj is ready to face his first international delivery on Saturday. Against New Zealand in the first of two T20s.

"Can't describe in words how I'm feeling right now," Yuvraj said, speaking to The Indian Express on a rainy Thursday. "I just can't wait anymore. When I arrived in Vizag this morning, it was raining and our practice was cancelled. I was disappointed. I really want to play." With no training, Yuvraj hit the gym hard at the ACA-VDCA Stadium — for close to 90 minutes. So what does it feel like to be able to hit those cover drives again? Yuvraj, with tongue firmly in cheek, answered.

"Arrey pehele tabiyat ke bare mein pooch, phir cricket ke baare mein baat karenge." Cricket, after all, can mean just that much. Standing beside him, Harbhajan Singh — another comeback man after a year long layoff for solely cricketing reasons — laughed heartily. Given an opportunity by the selectors in the shortest format of the game, Harbhajan will now be looking to make it count in order to find his place in future ODI squads. And of course, hope to re-enter the Test arena. But on Thursday, Harbhajan, like every other player in this camp — struggling or non-struggling — preferred to focus on Yuvraj's return.

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