Mumbai, Feb 11: After fighting the world’s best and coming out on top in the 2011 ICC World Cup, Yuvraj finds himself battling a different kind of opponent. Winning his team the coveted trophy was Yuvi’s motivation on the field in the marquee tournament, but he isn’t short of confidence when it comes to countering the illness he is confronted with.

“Reading lance Armstrong s book it's not about the bike ! I'm sure it will motivate me and pull me throu this time! Livestrong yuvstrong!” Yuvi recently tweeted.

Celebrated American cyclist Lance Armstrong fought his way back from testicular cancer to reach the top in his sport. The 40-year-old has a record seven consecutive Tour de France titles to his credit. But before he could beat the likes of Jan Ullrich and Marco Pantani, he had the spirit and determination to beat an even fiercer opponent. Diagnosed with cancer at the age of 25, Armstrong battled hard to overcome the disease and eventually etched his name in cycling folklore. The American is Yuvraj’s inspiration in his fight against his ailment.

Cricket, too, has seen its fair share of inspirational stories of players overcoming the illness to reclaim their lives and careers. Former Australia all-rounder Simon O'Donnell and South African Dave Callaghan, both were struck by the illness, but eventually managed to fight back and get their sporting careers back on track. Just after helping Australia win their first cricket World Cup trophy in 1987, O'Donnell was diagnosed with cancer. But he recovered to represent the Kangaroos in ODI cricket from 1988 to ‘89. Post retirement, O'Donnell also carved a niche for himself in the media industry.

Callaghan scored 169 off 143 balls and took three wickets against New Zealand during the Mandela Trophy in 1994. The match was his first after successfully recovering from testicular cancer. "I try to inform people that early detection is very important, and that they should not be too scared to consult a doctor," Callaghan said in 2011 while marking the 20th year of his victory from the illness.

Barcelona’s star left-back Eric Abidal was dealt a bitter blow when he was told he had a tumour on his liver that required immediate surgery. Two months later he was lifting the coveted Champions League trophy at Wembley Stadium after playing the entire ninety minutes of the Catalans’ 3-1 victory over Manchester United. "Every time I heard that applause, I realised that I had so many people behind me and that gave me so much strength to return," he said, acknowledging the support of his fans in his recovery.

Basketball and Ice Hockey too have their heroes–Edna Campbell and Mario Lemieux. The now retired women’s basketball player, Campbell fought her way through breast cancer during her fourth season as a professional. Her return to basketball was voted ‘The most inspirational moment in WNBA history’, thus making her a shining symbol to many cancer survivors.

An ice hockey great, Mario Lemieux was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma in 1993. The corresponding radiation treatments forced the Pittsburg Penguins centre to miss two months on the ice. But the Montreal native didn’t give up and returned to eventually end a glittering career as a Hall of Famer.

As India’s sporting hero Yuvraj faces off against the emperor of all maladies, it is his characteristic cheerfulness that is seeing him through. That coupled with the wishes of the entire cricketing community.