As Yuvraj Singh prepares to start his second innings in international cricket after his successful battle with cancer, Sachin Tendulkar says the "champion" has set a great example for not just fellow sportspersons but all those suffering from the disease.
"He's undergone those tough treatments and those tough sessions and he's back in the Indian cricket team. So he's set a great example not only for the sportsman to follow but for a common man suffering from cancer. I think he's set a great example," Tendulkar said.
Calling him a champion, Tendulkar remembered Yuraj's heroics in the 2011 World Cup.
"To me he's a champion, once a champion will always be a champion. I was really happy that he got the Man of the Series, Man of the tournament in the World Cup and then yes, he had health problems", Tendulkar told.
"And then again, as I said he's a champion and he proved it and he's addressed those issues with the help of the doctors and every possible thing which a cancer patient should do he's done," he said.
The veteran batsman was impressed with the India colts' triumph in the Under-19 World Cup recently, and picked captain Unmukt Chand for special praise.
"Yeah, I mean to be honest, I haven't seen much of him (Unmukt). But whatever I have seen I've really liked. I got to spend some time with the U-19 team before they left for the World Cup. It was a fantastic experience to share my thoughts with the team and also to watch them play fabulous cricket.
"They really played well. They played well as a team. In fact, when the Hyderabad Test was on while getting ready in my room I used to switch on the television to watch the game and that would continue till we reached the dressing room. We saw the finals but brilliant, they really batted well", he said.
"And with the help of some brilliant performances, individual performances, Unmukt has really done well in the finals. It was fantastic moment to watch them celebrate that victory once they got the trophy. The celebration was superb," Tendulkar said.
Talking about his best knock in 2011, a year which saw India winning the World Cup that was followed by the team's disastrous tour to England," Tendulkar chose the one he scored against South Africa in Cape Town at the start of the year.
"My best knock in 2011, I would say I scored a 100 in Cape Town in the third Test in South Africa. I think I scored a 140 plus so that's got to be the most challenging knock of 2011.
"The wicket had bounce and movement and when I look back I feel that one session I played with Gautam on the 3rd morning (and) for 55 or 57 minutes we didn't rotate the strike. I mean that was the quality and standard of bowling, It was really high and one of the enjoyable sessions that I find most challenging session that I have been part of."
On the Indian team's performance in the year gone by, he said it was a "special year".
"2011 was a really special year, especially the first half. The first half we won the World Cup which was the ultimate thing. I waited for 22 long years to lift the trophy.
"That evening was really special, you can only dream of such things and when they turn into reality, you're speechless."
He also spoke about the outings in England and Australia.
"England tour wasn't that great for the team. There were individual good performances but when you look at the team it wasn't a great tour for us though immediately when England came to India we showed them the other side of the coin.
"There were moments where we felt that sort of in the driving seat (in the Melbourne Test), but they slipped away from us. We were not able to grab them."
On records and the 100th hundred, Tendulkar said, "Well, I know that this will only happen once in my entire life. I can't get another award for that. Records are meant to be broken. I'm happy that it has happened."
Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar (born 24 April, 1973 in Bombay, Maharashtra, India) is a record-breaking Indian cricketer who is widely regarded as one of the greatest batsmen in the history of cricket.
Search This Blog
100th international century
14000 Test Runs
15000 Test Runs
20 years in cricket
2011 World Cup
2011 World Cup Memories
39th Birthday
44th ODI Century
45th ODI Century
46th ODI Century
47th ODI Century
49th ODI Century
50th Test Century
About 100th ton
About Sachin
Awards
Book about Sachin
Brett Lee on Sachin
Charity
Coca cola tribute to Sachin Tendulkar
Congratulated
Cricketers about Sachin
Dedicated to Sachin Tendulkar
Dhoni about Sachin
Feroz Shah Kotla record
Fourth innings record
Ganguly on Sachin
Inspiration
Interview
IPL
IPL 2011
Javed Miandad about Sachin
Milestone
ODI
ODI Career
ODI Centuries
ODI Country wise Performance
ODI double century
ODI Every Match
ODI Half-Centuries
ODI Man of the Match
ODI Milestone
ODI Position Wise Performance
ODI Statistics
ODI Year wise Performance
Only for Sachin Tendulkar
Padma Vibhushan
Players about Sachin
Ranking
Records
Sachin
Sachin about 2011 World Cup
Sachin about BMW
Sachin about Critics
Sachin about Dravid retirement
Sachin about F1
Sachin about his career
Sachin about his coach
Sachin about his First trip to Australia
Sachin about other players
Sachin about SCG
Sachin About VVS Laxman
Sachin and Achrekar
Sachin and BMW
Sachin and Saina Nehwal
Sachin and Schumacher
Sachin at Australia
Sachin at Buddh circuit
Sachin at F1
Sachin at Indian GP
Sachin at Ranji Trophy match
Sachin at the Rajya Sabha
Sachin Awards
Sachin biography
Sachin Career
Sachin Donate
Sachin Dravid pair
Sachin run out controversy
Sachin says
Sachin statue
Sachin Tendulkar about Arjun Tendulkar
Sachin Tendulkar and Yuvraj Singh
Sachin Tendulkar at Parliament
Sachin Tendulkar House
Sachin Tendulkar Interview
Sachin Tendulkar presented with Order of Australia membership
Sachin Tendulkar retires from ODIs
Sachin Tendulkar waves chequered flag
Sachin the Best
Sachin with England PM David Cameron
Sachin with Federer
Sachin with World Cup
Sachin's 90s
Sachin's Childhood days
Sachin's Favourite
Sachin's fifth Australia tour
Sachin's unique records
Sachin's View
Test
Test Career
Test Centuries
Test Country wise Performance
Test Milestone
Test Partnership
Test Position Wise Performance
Test Records
Test Statistics
Test Year wise Performance
Ton of ton
Viv Richards about Sachin
Wimbledon
Wimbledon 2011
World Cup Century
World Record