The tale of Yuvraj Singh and how he battled cancer during the 2011 ODI World Cup is a stuff of legend. The Southpaw delivered with both bat and ball as India went on to win the world cup at home, ending a 28-year wait for the coveted title. But after the tournament, it was revealed that Yuvraj had cancer. In fact, during a show on Star Sports in 2023, Harbhajan Singh revealed that Yuvraj used to cough a lot on the pitch during the matches in the World Cup, only finding later that he had cancer.

Yograj Singh on Yuvraj Singh's Battle Against Cancer During 2011 ODI World Cup

Recently, Yuvraj Singh's father Yograj Singh also shed more light on his son's condition during cricket's main event in 2011. He even claimed that he would have felt proud had his son died during the World Cup and India won the tournament.

"For our country, if Yuvraj Singh had died from cancer and had won India the World Cup, I would have been a proud father. I still am very proud of him. I have told him this over the phone as well. I wanted him to play even when he was spitting blood," Yograj Singh said on Unfiltered by Samdish podcast.

"I told him, 'Don't worry, you won't die. Win this World Cup for India," he added.

Though, Yuvraj Singh is arguably one of the best cricketers India ever produced, his father still thinks that had his son worked a tad harder, he would have become even better.

"Yuvraj Singh, if he had worked even 10 percent like his father, he would have become a great cricketer," Yograj said.

Yuvraj Singh's All-Round Display in 2011 ODI World Cup

It wouldn't have been possible for Team India to win the 2011 ODI World Cup without Yuvraj Singh. He performed with both bat and ball, winning matches for the Indian team. As a batsman, he scored 362 runs in 8 innings, at a jaw-dropping average of 90.50, while also maintaining a strike-rate of 86.19. In those 8 innings, he scored four fifties and a hundred, a solid return and an incredible consistency.

In addition to the batting masterclass, Yuvraj also contributed with the ball. He managed to pick up 15 wickets in nine innings, averaging 25.13 with an economy of 5.02, including one five-wicket haul. He was also rewarded with the man-of-the-series award.