Yograj Singh, the father of celebrated Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh, has once again ignited a firestorm of controversy with his latest pronouncements. In a scathing attack, Yograj has accused former India captains Kapil Dev and MS Dhoni of playing a significant role in the setbacks his son faced during his illustrious career.
The animosity between Yograj and Kapil Dev dates back to the 1970s and 1980s, when both were vying for a place in the Indian team. Yograj, who played only one Test match and six ODIs for India, alleges that Kapil’s influence was instrumental in preventing him from establishing himself in the team. He contends that Kapil’s actions effectively sabotaged his career, preventing him from achieving his full potential. Yograj’s latest salvo against Kapil involves comparing their achievements: “The greatest captain of our time, Kapil Dev…I told him, I’ll leave you in a position where the world would curse you. Today, Yuvraj Singh has 13 trophies, and you have only one, the World Cup. End of discussion.”
Yograj’s resentment also extends to MS Dhoni, the former Indian captain under whom Yuvraj played a pivotal role in India’s 2007 T20 World Cup and 2011 ODI World Cup triumphs. Yograj believes that Dhoni’s captaincy decisions ultimately led to his son’s exclusion from the Indian team, shortening his career. He specifically blames Dhoni for Yuvraj’s exclusion from the 2015 World Cup squad and points to Dhoni’s decisions as a contributing factor to India’s semifinal defeat in that tournament. In 2019, Yograj again targeted Dhoni, holding him responsible for India’s loss in the World Cup semifinal. “I won’t forgive MS Dhoni,” Yograj declared. “He should look at his face in the mirror. He is a very big cricketer, but what he has done against my son, everything is coming out now; it can never be forgiven in life. I have never done two things in life – first, I have never forgiven anybody who has done wrong for me, and second, I have never hugged them in my life, be it my family members or my kids. That man (MS Dhoni) has destroyed the life of my son, who could have played four to five years more.”
Yuvraj, who retired from all forms of cricket in June 2019, is yet to respond to his father’s accusations. However, these accusations have once again thrust the spotlight onto the contentious relationships between prominent figures in Indian cricket, raising questions about the dynamics within the team and the alleged influence of senior players.
