Why Yuvraj Singh’s father hates MS Dhoni?

Former Indian cricketers MS Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh are among the best crickters in the world, having played pivotal roles in elevating the Indian national cricket team to new heights with their impeccable batting and leadership skills. It would have been impossible for the Indian team to win two ICC World Cups without the presence of these players. Despite being part of several great wins in the past, these former Indian cricketers have always been in the spotlight for their relationship with each other outside the Gentlemen’s game.

We are discussing this because recently, legendary cricketer and father of Yuvraj Singh, Yograj Singh, made a new statement about the former Indian cricketer during an interview, which has become breaking news in the cricketing world. He said that MS Dhoni is responsible for ending Yuvraj’s career and that Dhoni should look in the mirror despite being regarded as one of the great players in the world. He claimed Dhoni wronged his son, and that is something he can never forgive in life.

"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. 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," Yograj said in the interview.

However, it’s not the first time that Yograj Singh has criticized MS Dhoni. A few months back, during the IPL, he attributed the Chennai Super Kings' (CSK) failure in IPL 2024 to Dhoni's past actions.

"CSK lost IPL 2024. Why did they lose? It's because whatever you sow, so shall you reap. Yuvraj Singh is the ICC Ambassador, hats off to him! And this jealous Dhoni, where is he? He didn't even shake hands with Yuvraj, and that is the reason why CSK failed this year," Yograj had claimed in a viral video.

But the question remains: why does Yograj Singh harbour such hatred toward MS Dhoni, especially when Dhoni and Yuvraj started their cricketing careers around the same time and were once seen playing against each other in domestic tournaments, displaying great understanding and respect for each other on the field?

MS Dhoni retired from international cricket in 2020 after India failed to win the ICC Men’s ODI World Cup 2019, getting run out when the Men in Blue needed 31 off 12 balls to defeat New Zealand in the semi-finals. On August 15, 2020, the legendary cricketer announced his retirement through a video on social media, showcasing his cricketing career from the start, accompanied by a song that expressed his 14-year journey with the Indian cricket team.

Meanwhile, Yuvraj Singh, the Player of the Tournament winner in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011, announced his retirement after struggling to regain his place in the Indian squad following his recovery from cancer. He retired on June 10, 2019, at the age of 37. Despite being backed by the team for India’s crucial matches, including the 2012 ICC Cricket World Cup and the 2014 and 2016 T20 World Cups, Yuvraj was unable to perform at the level expected, which eventually led to his retirement.

Yuvraj’s post-cancer comeback was unsatisfactory, especially considering the emerging talent of younger players who were consistently knocking on the door of selection with their impressive domestic cricket records. Ultimately, Yuvraj played 30 ODIs, 35 T20Is, and 6 Tests after his cancer treatment, averaging 27.08, 25.41, and 26.10, respectively, with strike rates of 88.79 and 124.74 in ODIs and T20Is.

One of the primary reasons for Yograj Singh's animosity towards MS Dhoni could be the fact that Dhoni, as captain of the Indian cricket team, decided to drop Yuvraj from the team when he was struggling to score runs after his cancer recovery. However, we cannot solely blame Dhoni for ending Yuvraj’s career, as being the captain of the Indian national cricket team required him to make difficult decisions that would benefit the team in the long run.

Nevertheless, it remains unclear why Yograj Singh dislikes MS Dhoni, who became a big name despite debuting after Yuvraj Singh and leading India to three ICC tournament victories during his era. However, we should not forget that both of these players are proud representatives of the Indian cricket team, and they are loved by thousands of fans worldwide.