Kapil Dev, legendary Indian captain, has finally broken his silence on the string of hostile and controversial public remarks made by his childhood friend and former teammate, Yograj Singh. Showing the trademark grace that defined his cricketing career, the 1983 World Cup-winning captain sent a profound message, advising Yograj to appreciate the good times and shed his deep-rooted resentment.
“I don’t know what he is trying to say. 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 will have to move on in life. But if you are a bitter person, people won’t love you. His son has done so well; he should be a happy person and live happily,” Kapil said in a recent podcast on Sports Tak.
“No one would get everything. Sometimes you get it, sometimes your family gets it. At the end of the day, you should be happy and not bitter. A bitter person has no place in this world. Your reaction to things determines who you are. If I slap someone or abuse someone, what good will it do? You have to move on. Somebody who has seen so much in the world, seen so many ups and downs… how many people had the chance to play for India as well as act in movies? You have already got more than many people. If you are unhappy, you are unhappy.”
“Bachpan ka dost hai. We went our own way. But we had a fabulous time. We grew up together. You get married and then if a divorce happens, you shouldn’t forget the good times. Sometimes you become so bitter that you forget the good times. I remember the good times,” he said.
Yograj’s controversial remarks
“When Kapil Dev became captain of India, North Zone, and Haryana, he dropped me for no reason,” Yograj once said in an interview.
“My wife (Yuvi’s mother) wanted me to ask Kapil questions. I told her that I would teach this bloody man a lesson. I took my pistol out and went to Kapil’s house in Sector 9. He came out with his mother. I abused him a dozen times. I told him, because of you I have lost a friend, and for what you have done, you will pay for it.”
Following his father’s remarks, Yuvraj Singh publicly apologised to Kapil Dev during an interview.
Reacting to Yuvi’s apology, Kapil said:
“He had no need to do so. Sometimes things happen. He is a great cricketer. What a fabulous cricketer he was and the way he served the country. I think he made the game more popular. People love him for the way he played cricket,” Kapil Dev said.
