How Yuvraj Singh, a true sport, braved cancer and won a second innings

Mumbai had set its mind to party that night. It was April 2, 2011. Mahendra Singh Dhoni's monstrous six off Nuwan Kulasekara over long-on had given India its second World Cup.

The nation was in a frenzy and the thousands that had assembled at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium, poured out into Marine Drive - Indian flags fluttering proudly and vuvuzelas blaring in victory.

Away from the frenetic celebrations on the streets and in the stands, the Indian team had its moment of retrospection.

A hard-fought campaign, led ably by Dhoni, Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Zaheer Khan and the man of the tournament: Yuvraj Singh.

The flamboyant all-rounder was all over the opposition. His impact on India's World Cup triumph will be etched in memory: 362 runs, 15 wickets and four man-of-the-match awards.

It was later revealed that Yuvi had accomplished all of that despite a rare form of germ cell cancer. He would undergo rigorous treatment and miss out on international cricket for the better part of the next decade but that is another story.

That April night, Yuvraj was high on success, and with Dhoni, attended the post-match press conference. The media room was packed with standing space only.

Yet, both World Cup heroes were tuned in to every question from journalists who were as ecstatic and proud as their players.

I was at the business end of my third major assignment and had to ask both Yuvi and MSD how crucial they thought Sourav Ganguly's role was to India's eventual success.

But before the ICC moderator could come to me, a reporter, in poor taste, asked Yuvraj what he thought of a starlet's promise to pose nude now that the team had lifted the coveted trophy.

Yuvi, exuding typical class, brushed aside the question with a shrug. And his response to the Ganguly question was just as classy: Yes, he was a major influence on and off Indian cricket. Dhoni, sitting next to him, was equally effusive in his praise of the Dada in domestic cricket.

Both men, at the peak of their game, had not forgotten the man who had taught Indian teams to win again.

Yuvraj had played his heart out despite being struck by a painful form of cancer. How could you not love him? How could you not love his charisma and how could you not love the fact that he wanted to win the Cup for Sachin?

A year later, it was doom and gloom for Indian cricket. The team had been whitewashed in England, Australia and they were a far cry from the bunch of champions that had lit up the cricketing world in their home summer.

Yuvi did make a comeback in 2012 but it was quickly forgotten or so it seemed. Another comeback followed in the 2014 World T20 and it was almost painful to watch him struggle against the guile of Sri Lanka's bowlers in the final, even as Virat Kohli tried valiantly at the other end.

And when Yuvraj walked off cutting a sorry figure in the final league game against Australia in the World T20 last year, the writing, many thought, was on the wall.

But for a warrior, it was a new beginning. Yuvraj went back to domestic cricket, scored loads of runs (including a double hundred), married a lovely woman and set himself up for yet another comeback, his third in the last five years.

Many felt it was a regressive step. What was a 35-year-old doing in a team of young turks? Was he even fit enough to survive in Kohli's team? The champion answered all those questions with a knock that defined his persona.

Reduced to 25/3, Yuvi stepped on the gas with Dhoni, slammed 150, his career-best and first hundred in nearly six years, added 256 for the fourth wicket and then lifted the man-of-the-match award.

It was vintage Yuvraj who again made an appearance at Eden Gardens Sunday night and it seemed he would bail India out of a sticky wicket with a few of his fabled drives. It was not to be but his resilience stood out once again.

Yuvraj Singh's successful return to the Indian team, on his third comeback, is priceless. His presence in the middle-order along with Dhoni will ease the pressure on Kohli.

As was evident against England, Kohli is no more the sole match-winner.

The captain, despite his phenomenal run over the last two years, is allowed a failure sometimes.

Meanwhile, hopeless lovers of the game will revel in the fact that Yuvraj has got a second wind.

Can he wind the clock back again? We will wait with bated breath.