Kapil Dev has delivered a calm and dignified response to the highly controversial statements made against him by former cricketer and Yuvraj Singh’s father, Yograj Singh. For a long time, Kapil Dev dismissed the remarks lightly with comments like "Who is he?" to reporters. However, breaking his silence comprehensively during a recent interview on Sports Tak, Kapil chose to react with ultimate grace and emotional intelligence. Breaking his silence on the matter, Kapil Dev chose to take the moral high ground rather than enter a public mudslinging match.
He stated, "I am still a friend. There is nothing from my side. But I don't like to meet bitter people in life. I like to meet happy people. There will be many things, but you have to move on. His son [Yuvraj Singh] has done so well... He should be happy and live happily."
He also added that life is about moving forward and that he would still not mind if Yograj came over and gave him a hug, calling him a "bachpan ka dost" (childhood friend). He emphasized that character is defined by a person's behavior, noting that decades-old grudges, abuse, or physical threats achieve nothing constructive in life. The 1983 World Cup winning captain also pointed out that Yograj should be incredibly proud and content because his son has built a legendary legacy. He expressed that when someone holds onto that much internal poison, they only push the world away.
The toxic statements heavily embarrassed his son, legendary Indian all-rounder Yuvraj Singh. Driven by discomfort over his father's constant media outbursts, which have previously targeted MS Dhoni as well, Yuvraj publicly intervened. Yuvraj officially apologized to both Kapil Dev and MS Dhoni during a podcast. He openly distanced himself from his father's words, stating, "I told dad, it's not okay.” Demonstrating true elder-statesman status, Kapil Dev publicly told Sports Tak that Yuvraj has absolutely no reason to feel sorry for his father's behavior.
What was the “pull bullet through head” remark made by Yograj Singh on Kapil Dev ?
During a highly explosive interview on the YouTube channel Unfiltered by Samdish, Yograj Singh recounted a lifetime of resentment toward Kapil Dev. He alleged that when Dev assumed captaincy over India, the North Zone, and Haryana, he actively used selection politics to drop Yograj without explanation.
Furious over his career ending, Yograj claimed he grabbed his pistol and drove directly to the former World Cup winning skipper's house in Sector 9, Chandigarh, with the explicit intent to shoot him in the head. Former Indian cricketer, stated that when the all-rounder came out, he was accompanied by his mother.
Yograj claimed he unleashed a tirade of verbal abuse but did not pull the trigger out of respect for Kapil's deeply pious mother. According to Yograj, he looked at Kapil and said, "I want to put a bullet through your head, but I'm not doing it because your mother is standing here... I will leave you in a position where the world will curse you." He stated that he then swore off his own cricket career to solely focus on training his son, Yuvraj Singh, to overshadow Kapil's legacy.
