It was just hours after India had won the world cup. Yuvraj Singh, man of the tournament, was sitting in his hotel room with feet up on the bed and pinching himself. Had he truly been declared man of the tournament? It was a moment that still gives me goose pimples, for I will never forget the expression in his eyes. They were relaxed and calm and in the calmness was a sparkle that summed it all up. Here was a man who had just recorded his ultimate triumph. The world cup trophy was in front of him and he was admiring the glittering silverware for which he had given all he had for the good part of his life. It was his night, a night we Indians will remember forever as India?s second tryst with cricketing destiny.

Yuvraj, for the record, has won India two world cups. He was easily the star of the show in the 2007 T-20 world cup and was once again the stand-out performer in the world cup last year.?The 2011 performance was better because it had come at the back of failure. He was out of the team after the disastrous 2010 T-20 world cup in the Caribbean and suffered in silence. When the world was starting to doubt his ability to make a comeback, he persevered. Hours in the gym and hours on the field made him stronger, mentally and physically. And cometh the hour, Yuvraj excelled with both bat and ball.

Easily, Yuvraj has made some ten or more comebacks. Casual but focused, relaxed but determined and fun loving but ambitious, Yuvraj will easily rank as one of India?s best one day and T-20 cricketers of all time. That he had talent was never doubted. That he has done justice to his talent in two of cricket?s biggest platforms makes him special. Despite being an underperformer in Tests, he will always have a place of pride in India?s cricketing pantheon for his ability to make cricket?s greatest stage, the world cup, his own.

At the time when he was out of the team and suffering one injury after another, his ruthlessly ambitious side had come to the fore. He had suffered enough to give it all up. He did not. He had endured enough pain to say goodbye and live on his riches. He preferred to grit it out instead. He trained and laboured at the National Cricket Academy (NCA). He took to bowling 10 overs knowing that his bowling could make him the elusive all-rounder India had been looking for. In sum, he did everything to fight adversity.

And once again he finds himself doing the same. This time round the pitch is, however, different. It is no longer the 22-yard strip that Yuvraj needs to make his own. The bowler at the other end isn?t a known commodity. He can?t read the deliveries of the hand or of the pitch but has to rely on mental strength and the advancement of medical science. And, of course, on his mother, who is much more than a mother. Companion and friend, Shabnam Singh has done all to see her son fight adversity. At these times, all we friends and well-wishers can do is hope and pray.

Indeed, there are examples before him. There is a Lance Armstrong. But ultimately it is a battle that Yuvraj has to fight with will and courage. And fight alone. For, this one match is perhaps more difficult than even winning the world cup. We are all waiting for the day Yuvraj wears the blue India jersey once again. We are waiting for the moment when we will see him walking out of the pavilion with his usual swagger, indifferent yet focused. We are waiting for the bowler to deliver and Yuvraj swivelling and hitting his favourite pull shot. It will be a folklore moment in Indian sport and showcase what all sport stands for? courage, romance and drama. Only this time it will be far more serious than a mere cricket match. The result will serve as inspiration to millions and make him a role model who will survive as a superhero for time immemorial. I have always enjoyed watching Yuvraj bat. However, this time round, I don?t care if he ever scores a single more run. I?d be more than glad to see him walk out to the middle and prove he is a winner. A true champion and a motivation for us all. Here?s wishing him all the best.

The writer is a sport historian