Sanjay Manjrekar

Six months ago, Indian all-rounder Yuvraj Singh was battling cancer in the United States and wondering if he would live, let alone play cricket again.

Sachin Tendulkar takes guard in a Test match for the first time as a member of parliament when India begin a new home season this week, aiming to rebuild their damaged reputation.

Sachin Tendulkar's nomination to India's parliament was met with widespread bemusement, with many questioning whether the publicly apolitical batting superstar will have the time or inclination to serve as an MP.

Former players and the media trained their guns on India's powerful cricket board Sunday after Mahendra Singh Dhoni's team slid to another humiliating series defeat overseas.