Yuvraj Singh’s father indirectly targets MS Dhoni once again for robbing his son of Team India captaincy

Yuvraj Singh's father, Yograj Singh, indirectly accused MS Dhoni and selectors of robbing his son of Team India captaincy.

Yuvraj Singh’s father indirectly targets MS Dhoni once again for robbing his son of Team India captaincy

Yuvraj Singh's father, Yograj Singh, indirectly accused MS Dhoni (via Hindustan Times)

The father-son duo of former Indian cricketers, Yograj Singh and Yuvraj Singh, have been quite talked about in the media. Yograj Singh, known for his infuriated statements, has once again aimed an indirect jab at MS Dhoni for robbing his son of Team India captaincy. 

Yograj Singh has remained unrestrained with his take on Indian cricket, and has often launched several attacks on former Indian captain MS Dhoni. The Chennai Super Kings legend remains a revered figure in Indian cricket. The now 43-year-old wicket-keeper, who retired from international cricket in 2020, led the team to an ODI World Cup, a T20 World Cup and a Champions Trophy. 

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MS Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh played 273 matches together for the Indian national team, forging several memorable partnerships across all formats. The most remarkable one among those was their 256 run-stand between the two former players for the fourth wicket to pull India from 25 for 3 to 381 runs against England, in a three-match ODI series back in 2017.

Despite having risen through the ranks at the same time, Dhoni went on to captain India, while Yuvraj Singh played an instrumental role behind him. Singh was one of India’s foremost players during the 2011 ODI WC, and was named the the Player of the Tournament for his all-round contributions. However, Yuvraj Singh did face several challenges throughout his career.

He was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor and underwent chemotherapy in the US. This kept him out of action for a year from 2011 to 2012. Upon his return, Yuvraj struggled to regain his form, and later lost his place in the national team to youngsters like Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel and Hardik Pandya. Yuvraj Singh retired from international cricket in 2019, bringing an end to his 17-year-long illustrious career. 

However, his father, Yograj Singh, has consistently pursued the fact that his son was mistreated by the BCCI and MS Dhoni. The BCCI did deny his request to return to domestic cricket and IPL in 2019, over his participation in the Global T20 League Canada and Abu Dhabi T10 League. Yograj Singh has accused MS Dhoni of ruining his son’s career, despite his monumental contributions.

In a recent jibe, the 67-year-old former cricketer-turned actor made an indirect reference to MS Dhoni, while claiming that his son’s opportunity to become the Indian captain was taken away. He added that his son was denied and kept away from the role by the Indian selectors. He also noted his demand for Yuvraj Singh to be conferred with the Bharat Ratna for playing through cancer.

I want to know why my son [Yuvraj Singh] was not made captain and I curse each one of them they will not be able to survive.

Yograj Singh on the Tauwar Kohli podcast (H/T X)

Nonetheless, it comes despite Yograj Singh, earlier this year, having softened his stance on MS Dhoni. He has labelled the former Indian skipper as a ‘motivated’ captain, while also praising his fearless attitude on the pitch.

Yuvraj Singh’s father calls out BCCI for disrespecting veteran Indian players

Yograj Singh, Yuvraj Singh’s father, voiced his concerns regarding the BCCI’s handling of veteran Indian cricketers such as Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and MS Dhoni. Though he holds these players in high regard, he emphasized that personal affection should not overshadow accountability.

Yograj Singh Kohli and Rohit
Ex-Indian cricketer Yograj Singh called out the BCCI for mistreating senior Indian players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli (via NDTV)

In a recent podcast appearance, Yograj Singh disapproved of the call to remove senior players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli from the national team in the wake of poor performances. He advocated for providing support instead, suggesting training and practice as a solution.

If anyone doesn’t perform, you say drop Rohit [Sharma], drop [Virat] Kohli. Why drop anyone? They are going through a bad phase; help them out, and assist them.

Yograj Singh on the Taruwar Kohli podcast (H/T X)

Meanwhile, the 67-year-old recounted his distress upon learning of Kapil Dev‘s health issues. Despite having criticized his actions in the past, Singh exclaimed that he was moved to tears at the news of the former WC-winning captain’s heart attack.