A major controversy has erupted ahead of IPL 2026 involving spin legend Ravichandran Ashwin and former cricketer Yograj Singh. The friction started when Ashwin, on his YouTube channel, predicted that Arjun Tendulkar—who was recently picked by Lucknow Super Giants (LSG)—would not get a single game this season due to the presence of pacers like Mohammed Shami, Mayank Yadav, and Avesh Khan.

Yograj Singh’s Scathing Reply: Yograj Singh, the father of Yuvraj Singh and a former coach to Arjun, did not take Ashwin’s remarks lightly. In a fiery interview with InsideSport, Yograj questioned Ashwin’s authority to criticize the youngster. “He is talking bullshit. This guy Ashwin, whoever he is, should mind his own business. Sitting on TV and saying ‘he can’t do this, he can’t do that’—who are you? What is your stature?” Yograj fumed.

He further claimed that Arjun is a natural batter who has been mismanaged as a bowler. Putting his reputation on the line, Yograj issued a global challenge: “If Arjun spends six months with me, he will surpass every batter in the world. If I fail, I will cut off my beard and throw it away.”