Former Indian fast bowler Yograj Singh, who is the father of legendary Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh, has demanded the Bharat Ratna award for the star all-rounder. According to him, there won’t be any other cricketer like Yuvraj, and the Indian government should honour him with the highest civilian award for playing with cancer and helping India win the World Cup.
In an interview with Zee Switch’s YouTube channel, Yograj said, “I dare everyone to give birth to a son like Yuvraj. Even Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag have said in the past that there won’t be another Yuvraj Singh. India should award him the Bharat Ratna for playing with cancer and winning the World Cup for the country.”
Yuvraj played a major part in India winning the T20 World Cup 2007 and the ODI World Cup 2011. In the inaugural edition of the men’s shortest format mega event, Yuvraj hammered six sixes in an over bowled by Stuart Broad of England to create history and then played an impactful knock in the semi-final against Australia.
In the 2011 ODI World Cup, which India won by getting in the better off Sri Lanka in the final played at Wankhede Stadium on April 2, 2011, Yuvraj grabbed the Player of the Tournament. He scored 361 runs and picked up 15 wickets for the MS Dhoni-led team.
Yograj, who represented India in a Test match and six ODIs during the 1981 season, blamed MS Dhoni for ruining Yuvraj’s career and said he would hold a grudge against him forever.
“I will never forgive MS Dhoni. He should have a look at himself in the mirror,” he said. “he is an eminent player; however, what all he has done to my son, is now coming out; it will remain incomplete, even after thousands of years. In my life, I’ve never done two things: first, forgiving anyone who has wronged me- this one I am still learning to let go and secondly hugging anyone including family members or kids.”
He further added that: “I told him Yuvraj could easily play for four-five more years but ended up departing international cricket in 2019”.
“The man (MS Dhoni) has ruined the life of my child who could have played even four to five more years,” he added.
