Yograj Singh came up with a fiery reply, hitting out at Ravichandran Ashwin for writing off Arjun Tendulkar ahead of Lucknow Super Giants Indian Premier League 2026 campaign.
The outspoken former Indian cricketer and renowned coach did not hold back and took a dig at Ashwin in an interview with InsideSport.
“He’s talking bull****. That guy, Ash, whoever he is, should know what to say about somebody. Somebody’s sitting on TV talking about, ‘Oh, he can’t do this, he can’t do that’.” who are you?” Yograj said.
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The former Punjab cricketer has long believed in Arjuna’s potential already trained him in 2022. In just 12 days of training, Arjun scored a century on debut. Yograj even pushed for a whole year together but it never happened. He also pointed to a technical problem that he says is widely overlooked. “He had a spinal problem and his arm was at a 45 degree angle,” he said.
“I challenge the whole world. Arjun Tendulkar who spends 6 months with me will surpass all the batsmen in this world,” declared Yograj.
What did Ashwin actually say?
The blast was sparked by remarks Ashwin made on his YouTube channel where he spoke openly about Tendulkar’s prospects at LSG. “Arjun Tendulkar khelega hi nahi, (Arjun Tendulkar won’t even play)” said Ashwin, hinting that the bowler has little or no chance of breaking into the playing XI. He pointed to the formidable pace options LSG already have at their disposal with Mayank Yadav, Mohsin Khan, Avesh Khan and Mohammad Shami in the pecking order.
The debate comes off the back of a major IPL deal. Mumbai Indians and Lucknow Super Giants have agreed a deal to send Tendulkar to LSG ahead of the 2026 season. Picked up by MI for INR 30,000 last year, the move is seen as a chance for the left-arm pacer to finally get consistent game time at the highest level, according to ESPNCricinfo.
Tendulkar’s IPL journey has been patient. First bought by Mumbai Indians in the 2021 auction for INR 20 lakh, he had to wait until 2023 to make his debut, making four appearances that season. In total, he has taken three wickets at an economy rate of 9.36 in five IPL appearances. Whether LSG will give him the opportunity to build on that remains to be seen.
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Issued by:
Amar Panicker
Published on:
25 March 2026 19:04 IST
