This remark comes months after Yograj admitted in an interview on the YouTube channel Unfiltered by Samdish that he once harboured thoughts of killing Kapil Dev after being dropped from the Indian team in the 1980s. The former all-rounder had played just one Test and six ODIs before fading from the international scene.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Kapil Dev, however, chose to remain unfazed at the time, simply responding: \u201cKaun hai? Kiski baat kar rahe ho? (Who? Who are you asking about?).\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Speaking to IANS on Thursday, Yograj said: \u201cI don\u2019t know him. If he doesn\u2019t know me, I don\u2019t know Kapil. I only know Yuvraj Singh, Gautam Gambhir, Rahul Dravid, Virender Sehwag \u2013 those who are doing so much for cricket. I can talk about them.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
He added: \u201cI don\u2019t want to be friends with anyone, nor do I want anyone to be my friend. I have removed the word \u2018friend\u2019 from my dictionary. This is all a fake program.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Even as his feud with Kapil Dev resurfaces, Yograj also sent out a broader message to Indian cricket. \u201cIf you give to the nation, to the world\u2014even if you go hungry yourself but feed someone else\u2014then God opens treasures for you,\u201d he said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
He urged India\u2019s cricketing fraternity to invest in the game\u2019s future: \u201cIt shouldn\u2019t just be Kapil Dev. Every cricketer should take this responsibility. If each of them helps produce even a single player for India, then, by God\u2019s grace, the country will have so many great cricketers that in the coming years, no team will be able to defeat India.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Turning his attention to the younger generation, Yograj praised India\u2019s rising stars after Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma\u2019s blistering 105-run opening stand powered India to a six-wicket victory over Pakistan in the Asia Cup Super Fours clash.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
He urged India\u2019s cricketing fraternity to invest in the game\u2019s future: \u201cIt shouldn\u2019t just be Kapil Dev. Every cricketer should take this responsibility. If each of them helps produce even a single player for India, then, by God\u2019s grace, the country will have so many great cricketers that in the coming years, no team will be able to defeat India.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cIf Shubman and Abhishek play for 15 overs, then our target is effectively 200 runs, and after that you can get 300 or whatever. But I will only say one thing to Abhishek \u2013 and Yuvraj has also said it many times \u2013 try to play for 12 to 15 overs, that\u2019s all.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n