Yuvraj Singh deserves Bharat Ratna, MS Dhoni ‘ruined’ his career: Yograj
Renowned cricket coach Yograj Singh said his son Yuvraj deserves a Bharat Ratna for his contribution to Indian cricket, adding that the all-rounder should be rewarded with the highest civilian award.
Yograj highlighted Yuvraj was peerless in his illustrious career, which included a ‘second innings’ in which he made a memorable comeback after overcoming cancer. Yograj also lashed out at MS Dhoni, alleging that the former India captain ‘ruined’ his son’s career, cutting it short by at least four years.
Yograj Singh, who has been unrestrained with his take on cricket and cricketers, was at it again as he launched a fresh attack on MS Dhoni. Yograjs said Yuvraj could have contributed more to the senior national team and highlighted that he is a peerless all-rounder in Indian cricket. In the past, the former India cricketer has taken swipes at Dhoni, alleging that he made life difficult for his son during their days together in the senior national men’s team.
“I won’t forgive MS Dhoni. He should look at himself in the mirror. He is a very prominent cricketer, I salute him. But what he did to my son is unforgivable. Everything is coming to light now, and it can never be forgiven,” Yograj told Switch YouTube channel.
“That man has ruined my son’s life, who could have played for four to five more years. I challenge everyone to have a son like Yuvraj. Even Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag have said that there will never be another Yuvraj Singh.
“India should award him the Bharat Ratna for playing through cancer and winning the World Cup for the country,” he added.
Yuvraj and Dhoni played 273 matches together for India, forging several memorable partnerships across all formats. Having risen through the ranks at the same time, the two cricketers were the face of the limited-overs team during the T20 World Cup and ODI World Cup triumphs under Dhoni’s captaincy.
Yuvraj Singh was instrumental in India’s World Cup victories in 2007 and 2011. The all-rounder was peerless in the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007, providing firepower to the Indian batting unit in the middle-order. In 2011, Yuvraj was the Player of the Tournament in India’s ODI World Cup triumph for his all-round contributions with the bat. It emerged that Yuvraj was battling cancer during the home World Cup.
He was diagnosed with a cancerous tumour in his left lung and underwent chemotherapy treatment in Boston and Indianapolis. Despite this setback, he made a remarkable comeback to international cricket in September 2012.
However, after his return to cricket, Yuvraj struggled to regain his form. His performances were inconsistent, and he eventually lost his place in the national team after featuring in the T20 World Cup in 2014 and the Champions Trophy in 2017. Yuvraj was overlooked for the ODI World Cup in 2015 in Australia.
He continued to play in the Indian Premier League (IPL) but was not able to replicate his earlier success. Yuvraj Singh officially retired from international cricket in June 2019, bringing an end to his illustrious career.