Yograj Singh vs MS Dhoni: A decade-long controversy over Yuvraj Singh's cricket journey
Yuvraj Singh's father, Yograj, has often accused MS Dhoni of harming Yuvraj¡¯s career, claiming his decisions cut it short. While Yograj¡¯s allegations made headlines, Dhoni stayed silent, and Yuvraj maintained a balanced view on their bond.
When discussing drama within the Indian cricket team, several instances come to mind, such as the alleged Virat Kohli vs Rohit Sharma rift or the juniors vs seniors dynamic in the squad. However, one that stands out is the one-sided war of words between Yuvraj Singh's father, Yograj Singh, and Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
Yuvraj and Dhoni shared the Indian dressing room for over a decade, with the former even serving as vice-captain during a part of Dhoni's career. However, controversy arose when Dhoni was named captain in 2007, succeeding Rahul Dravid, despite Yuvraj holding the vice-captaincy under Dravid.
Yograj Singh vs MS Dhoni:
Amid all this, Yuvraj Singh's father, Yograj Singh, repeatedly accused MS Dhoni of harming his son's cricketing career, particularly after 2014. Yograj alleges that Dhoni's decisions as captain cut Yuvraj's career short, claiming he could have played for another four to five years and even went as far as saying Dhoni "destroyed" Yuvraj¡¯s life.
In a recent interview on the Zee Switch YouTube channel, Yograj remarked, "I won't forgive MS Dhoni. 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."
While Yograj Singh has spoken about Dhoni in many interviews when asked for his opinion, the 'Thala' of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) has not publicly responded to Yuvraj Singh's father's allegations. Dhoni is known for maintaining a low profile and rarely addressing controversies or criticism in the media.
Yuvraj Singh's side of the story:
Conversely, Yuvraj himself, in an interview on the TRS Clips YouTube channel, admitted that his father might have some mental health issues. He stated, "My father has been successful in his life, but he doesn't accept certain things."
When asked about his relationship with Dhoni, Yuvraj clarified, "Mahi and I are not close friends. We were friends because of cricket; we played together. Mahi's lifestyle was very different from mine, so we were never close friends¡ªour bond was only through cricket. On the field, we always gave more than 100% for our country. As captain and vice-captain, decision differences are natural."
The former India all-rounder also shared that before the 2019 World Cup, Dhoni had informed him about the selectors' decision regarding his exclusion from the squad. "Sometimes he made decisions I didn't like, sometimes I made decisions he didn't like. That happens in every team. When I was at the end of my career, when I wasn't getting the right picture about my career, I asked him for advice. He was the guy who told me that the selection committee is not looking you right now. I was like, at least I got to know the real picture. This is just before 2019 World Cup. That is the reality," he said.
Yuvraj concluded on a positive note, saying, "He is retired, I am retired. When we meet, we meet as friends¡ªnot as strangers avoiding each other. We even shot an ad together recently and had fun reminiscing about our past days."
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Karen Noronha is a versatile journalist with a passion for sports and K-pop. With over 7 years of experience at publications like IBTimes UK, DNA, and OTTPlay/DesiMartini, she seamlessly transitions between covering global athletic events and the dynamic world of K-pop.
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