Yuvi`s comeback steals spotlight amid rains

Visakhapatnam: A giant banner welcoming Yuvraj Singh back to international cricket after 10 months, reading `Goodbye Cancer, Welcome Back Sixer` summed up the mood at the venue of the first T20 International between India and New Zealand even as heavy rains lashed the Dr YSR Reddy ACA-VDCA Stadium.

Amid the depressing weather, it was Yuvraj, sporting a bright smile and a badge that read `YouWeCan`, who stole the limelight of the full-house turnout at the 27,000 capacity stadium. Heavy rains lashed the stadium more than an hour before the start of the match but the crowd -- and the cricket fans all over the world -- waited patiently to see Yuvraj back again, after conquering a rare germ cell cancer. Even amid the bad weather, the official broadcaster kept showing highlights of the India-England 2007 Twenty20 World Cup, when Yuvraj had hit six sixes in a Stuart Broad over. Yuvraj reciprocated the gesture, saying, "Dawa se dua bahut hoti hai (sometimes prayers work wonders than medicine). "It`s a great feeling to be back. The preparation has been very well. I have pushed myself, every hour, every day. The rain is unfortunate. But I just can`t wait to be back on the field," the 30-year-old, who last played for India in November last year, said. There was not just one banner, many of them welcoming Yuvraj were seen all over the gallery in the rain-soaked atmosphere. `Yuvi, we want again 6x6 six sixers`, `The King of Sixer is Back`, `Yuvi Is Back`, `God please stop the rain, we want to see Yuvi back again`, read some of the banners. Not only from areas surrounding Visakhapatnam but people from far away had come to see Yuvraj`s comeback match. "We have scheduled our holidays so that we would get to see our hero back on the field on our home ground," said 26-year-old engineer A Siddharth, who hails from Visakhapatnam, sporting an India jersey. PTI