Yuvraj Singh is most remembered for his heroic performances at the 2011 ODI World Cup that saw India become the champions for the second time in their cricket history. The allrounder starred with the bat and the ball as the hosts lifted the trophy at the Wankhede Stadium. For his contribution, he deservedly won player-of-the-tournament award. However, unknown to Yuvraj and his India teammate, he was battling a rare form of cancer that saw him being troubled by regular coughing and vomiting. The symptoms began appearing two months before the tournament, but he ignored the problem given the world cup was nearing. With his health continuing to deteriorate during the world cup, Yuvraj went for further checkups during which it was revealed that he has a lung cancer for which he subsequently underwent chemotherapy in the USA. On Tuesday, Yuvraj hosted a gala dinner for his charity YouWeCan in London for which the entire Indian Test cricket team, currently in England for a five-match Test series, was invited. Among the attendees was Virat Kohli, a former teammate of Yuvraj, and he recalled the contribution of the legendary allrounder in his growth as a player. “We (Yuvraj and I) shared a very good bond both on and off the field,” Kohli said. “I met him for the first time during a North Zone tournament in Bangalore. When I started playing for India, him, bhajju pa (Harbhajan Singh) and Zaheer Khan took me under their wings. Really helped me grow as a player, made me comfortable in the dressing room. Lot of fun times off the field and made me aware of the lifestyle of getting to the top. These are the bonds I would cherish for the rest of my life.” Kohli, who was part of India’s 2011 world cup winning squad, recalled the moment when the teammates were made aware of Yuvraj’s diagnosis. “Watching him (Yuvraj) in the World Cup was very special and what we got to know after that was a shock. Being so close to him… we had no idea. Then his battle with cancer and again the champion that he is… coming on top and making a comeback to the team when I was leading the team,” Kohli said. Kohli recalled the Cuttack ODI between India and England in 2017 when Yuvraj turned the clock back with a masterful 150 of 127 and alongside MS Dhoni (134 off 122) stitched a gigantic 256-run partnership for the fourth wicket to help his team recover from 25/3 to post 381/6. “I clearly remember we played a game against England in Cuttack. There was a 2017 series we played at home and top order got out early and Yuvi pa got 150 I think and MS scored 110 (134) or something. I still remember telling KL or someone that this is like childhood days watching on big tv… I have a lot of love and respect for him. It’s a pleasure being here and I won’t do it for any other person but him,” Kohli said.