Former Indian cricketer Surinder Khanna has humorously responded to the ongoing controversy surrounding Yograj Singh’s recent comments on Kapil Dev. Khanna’s remarks came after Yograj Singh stated that he intended to shoot Kapil Dev after he was dropped from the Indian national cricket team.
Yograj Singh, who played six ODIs and one Test match for India, failed to make an impact at the international level. After his own failures in cricket, he guided his son, Yuvraj Singh, to success in international cricket. Yograj has previously criticized the likes of MS Dhoni and the late Bishan Singh Bedi.
Even Kapil Dev knows he’s a bit crazy – Surinder Khanna
Delhi: On former cricketer Yograj Singh’s statement, former Indian cricketer Surinder Khanna says, “Whatever he says, he is our friend. Even Kapil Dev knows he is a bit crazy and speaks without thinking” pic.twitter.com/4NqjObMfTp
— IANS (@ians_india) January 13, 2025
Surinder Khanna responded in a playful tone to Yograj Singh’s recent claim that he once thought of shooting Kapil after he was dropped from the Indian team. Khanna stated that Yograj often speaks without thinking. He urged Yograj to avoid such statements.
“He says anything, he is our friend. Even Kapil Dev knows he is a bit of a crack and speaks without thinking. That was 1983, and now it’s 2025, my friend. Hi Yog, don’t do that (laughs),” remarked Khanna.
I told him, ‘I want to put a bullet through your head’ – Yograj Singh
On the Unfiltered by Samdish podcast, Yograj Singh revealed that he was furious after being dropped from the playing XI. Reflecting on his emotions at the time, Yograj said that he wanted to blow Kapil’s head but refrained from doing so as Kapil’s mother was present.
“When Kapil Dev became the captain, he dropped me for no reason,” said Yograj. “I told him, ‘I want to blow your head off, but I won’t because your pious mother is standing here’.”
Kaun Hai? Kiski Baat Kar Rahe Ho? – Kapil Dev
Kapil remained calm and unfazed by the controversy surrounding Yograj Singh’s claims. When asked about this by a reporter during a press conference at the Delhi Golf Club for the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI), Kapil asked who Yograj was and who the reporter was referring to.
Kapil playfully asked, “Kaun hai? Kiski baat kar rahe ho? (Who is he? Who are you talking about?)” before confirming the name and casually replying, “Acchaa, aur kuch? (Well, anything else?)”.
Kapil made history by leading India to their first World Cup victory in 1983, inspiring generations with his exceptional leadership and performances. He remains India’s most successful fast bowler in Test cricket, with 434 wickets, and finished his career with 9,013 runs and 687 wickets across all formats.
In recognition of his contribution, Kapil was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1991, one of the country’s highest civilian honours. After his retirement, he was the head coach of the Indian team from 1999 to 2000 and later started a successful career as a cricket commentator and pundit.
