“It was my way or the highway”- Yograj Singh admits becoming a tyrant to make Yuvraj Singh a cricketing legend

Yograj Singh, a former Indian cricketer and actor, revealed about the personal sacrifices he made to develop his son, Yuvraj Singh, into one of India's most recognized cricket idols. 

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Speaking with SMTV, the former fast bowler confessed that his desire of growing Yuvraj into a sporting prodigy came at the expense of his family's peace and harmony. Yograj acknowledged to enforcing strict restrictions at home, which had a negative impact on his first wife, Shabnam Kaur, and eventually led to their separation.

Yograj claims that his drive to elevate Yuvraj as a champion became an obsession. He recalled how he limited his wife's independence, restricting her from going outdoors without his permission and even prohibiting her family from giving him advice.

"She wasn’t allowed to leave the house without my permission. Her family wasn’t allowed to enter my house, and if they did, they were not allowed to give me advice. When we had a son, I told my mother that I have a fire inside me to make him into a legend. I vowed to take revenge on everybody who had wronged me, including Kapil Dev, through my son," he told SMTV.

Yograj Singh stated he wanted to avenge his own unmet dreams and perceived injustices in the cricket world, especially grudges against former teammate Kapil Dev.

" They don’t speak to me”- Yograj Singh on his family and children, paying price for discipline 

Yograj disregarded the idea of personal failure, claiming that his career terminated unfairly. He emphasized that his tight, authoritarian nature—his inability to compromise—frequently contradicted others' expectations.

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“It was my way or the highway. If I say it’s night, it’s night; if I say it’s day, it’s day. My family couldn’t digest this; they thought this was my weakness, but I believe this is what gave me an edge," he recalled.

Yograj described himself as emotionally hardened, claiming he trained his mind to be as tough as iron. He said he only cried while praying, when his mother died, and when Yuvraj and his mother abandoned him. In another interview with the Highbrow Studios YouTube channel, he stated that his children did not speak to him.

"They don’t speak to me. They keep a distance from me..." he said.

Yograj Singh represented India in one Test and six One Day Internationals as a right-arm fast-medium bowler. After his cricketing career was shortened due to an injury, he transitioned into a successful actor in Punjab and Bollywood movies.

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