Yuvraj Singh's father, Yograj, admits he became a tyrant to his family to make his son's career: 'If I said it's night, it's night...'

Former Indian cricketer and actor Yograj Singh opened up about the personal sacrifices he endured to shape his son, Yuvraj Singh, into one of India’s most celebrated cricket icons. Speaking to SMTV, the ex-fast bowler revealed that his dream of turning Yuvraj into a sports prodigy came at the cost of his family’s peace and unity. Yograj admitted to enforcing severe rules at home, which deeply affected his first wife, Shabnam Kaur, and ultimately led to their separation. He confessed that the rigorous discipline he inherited from his father and schooling molded his uncompromising nature—one that he later imposed on those closest to him.

According to Yograj, his determination to raise Yuvraj as a champion became an obsession. He recalled how he restricted his wife’s independence, forbidding her from stepping outside without his consent and even barring her family from offering him advice. When their son was born, Yograj claimed he made a vow to his mother to transform the boy into a cricketing legend—not only to fulfill a dream but also to avenge his own unfulfilled ambitions and perceived injustices within the cricketing world, including grievances with former teammate Kapil Dev.

"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 said.

The Cost of Ambition and Unrelenting Discipline

When questioned about the downfall of his cricketing career, Yograj dismissed the idea of personal failure and maintained that his career ended unfairly. He explained that his strict, authoritarian nature—his refusal to compromise—often clashed with others’ expectations. In his words, he lived by his own law, believing that unwavering conviction gave him strength even if it distanced him from those he loved.

“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 insisted he rarely showed vulnerability, though he admitted moments of weakness during deep personal losses. He said he felt tears only while praying, when his mother passed away, and when Yuvraj and his mother left him—moments that shook his otherwise stoic persona. Despite the pain, he claimed to have restrained his emotions, choosing resilience over remorse.

In another chat with the Highbrow Studios YouTube channel, he admitted that his children didn't talk to him.

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

From Cricketer to Actor

Yograj Singh, born on March 25, 1958, once represented India in one Test and six One Day Internationals as a right-arm fast-medium bowler. His only Test appearance came against New Zealand in Wellington, where he secured a single wicket. After an injury curtailed his cricket career, he successfully transitioned into acting, featuring in several Punjabi and Hindi films such as Teen Thay Bhai, Singh is Bling, and Bhaag Milkha Bhaag.

Yuvraj Singh, the cricketer molded under his father’s relentless discipline, went on to achieve international glory and married former actor Hazel Keech in 2016. The couple now share two children—son Orion and daughter Aura.