His indomitable spirit has helped the country win many cricket battles, but the grit he displayed in his fight against cancer was unparalleled. No prizes for guessing, it’s Yuvraj Singh, one of Team India’s most prolific batsman, that I am talking about.
Yuvraj, or simply Yuvi, is my role model and has inspired me to wield the willow. He is one of the most feared batsmen in international cricket. His six sixes off England bowler Stuart Board in a Twenty20 match bears testimony to this. Yuvi has taken Indian cricket to an altogether different level.
He is a fighter, a match winner and it shows on his face. He is unstoppable, means business and he proves it by way of sending bowlers on a leather hunt.
Many regard him as one of the cleanest strikers of the cricket ball. His trademark punch through the covers is a treat to watch. He is extremely dependable in challenging situations and has steered India to victory in many matches in the 2011 World Cup.
He went out of action for over a year after being diagnosed with cancer, but the love and prayers of over a billion people helped him bounce back. He has already shown glimpses of his previous form in the T20 match against New Zealand earlier this week. And he can only get better from here. He has given all of us a very valuable lesson that life is full of ups and downs, but if we are determined to achieve something, we definitely will.
As someone had said: “Success is not final, failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts.”
Rajat Bhatta,
Class IX,
Mother’s Public School,
Bhubaneswar