Yograj Singh’s frustration with MS Dhoni has been well documented. The former Indian cricketer has on several occasions held Dhoni responsible for cutting short his son Yuvraj Singh’s international career and said what was done to Yuvraj can never be forgiven.
However, former BCCI Chief Selector Sandeep Patil tells a completely different story.
“Dhoni Never Said Drop Yuvraj”
Speaking on The Vicky Lalwani Show on YouTube, Patil addressed the allegations directly. As quoted by Indian Express, the former chief selector was unequivocal about Dhoni’s role in the selection process.
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“Not once, not during selection meetings, not on tour, not during matches, did Mahendra Singh Dhoni tell him to sack Yuvraj Singh. I am going on record,” Patil said.
He also clarified that Dhoni did not push back or interfere when the committee made the call. “He had complete faith in the selection committee. He didn’t say anything,” Patil added.
On the blame that has been leveled at Dhoni over the years, Patil acknowledged Yograj’s sentiments but was clear about where the responsibility really lay. “A father who feels strongly about his son is not bad. But the blame is placed in the wrong place,” he said.
What Yograj said
Yograj has been vocal about his views for years. He didn’t hold back in a recent appearance on the Switch YouTube channel. “I will not 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 out now and it can never be forgiven,” he said.
He also spoke about what Yuvraj could achieve. “That man ruined the life of my son who could have played for another four to five years. I urge everyone to have a son like Yuvraj. Even Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag said there will never be another Yuvraj Singh,” said Yograj.
It’s a sentiment rooted in a father’s pride. Yuvraj Singh was among the most talented cricketers of his generation, a match-winner across formats who played in India’s 2007 World T20 and 2011 World Cup victories. His Man of the Series performance at the 2011 World Cup came at that moment secretly battled a cancerous tumor in his lungs, a battle he eventually won before returning to international cricket.
The call was made by the selection committee, not by Dhoni. That is Patil’s position, expressed clearly and unambiguously. In Yograj, the pain may persist. But the former chief selector has now put his version on the record and it does not support the narrative that has been circulating for years.
– The end
Issued by:
Amar Panicker
Published on:
11 March 2026 17:56 IST
