Former cricketer Yograj Singh, father of the two-time World Cup champions Yuvraj Singh, has lashed out at the former Pakistan spinner Saqlain Mushtaq over his controversial remark suggesting that India should play 10 Tests, 10 ODIs and 10 T20Is against Pakistan to truly prove their strength after Rohit Sharma and co. defeated Pakistan by six wickets at the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in Dubai. Saqlain Mushtaq faced widespread criticism for his statement questioning India’s strength and domination in world cricket.
Yograj Singh, former Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh’s father, has launched a scathing attack on ex-Pakistani player and coach Saqlain Mushtaq. This comes after Saqlain Mushtaq challenged the Indian team following their win over Pakistan in the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy group-stage match. Despite India’s six-wicket in that match, Saqlain Mushtaq hinted at testing the Indian side by playing multiple matches against Pakistan across all formats.
Saqlain Mushtaq’s statement and Pakistan’s woeful performance in Champions Trophy and recent times vs India
While India celebrated their ICC Champions Trophy triumph and added another chapter to their success story, Pakistan continued to grapple with their mounting woes, exiting from the group stage of an ICC event for the third consecutive time.
Hosting a global cricket tournament after 29 years, Pakistan’s hopes were dashed early as New Zealand handed them a crushing 60-run defeat and spoiled the party. To add to their injuries, they lost to arch-rivals India by six wickets in a match that was one-sided, attracting criticism from Pakistan fans and supporters worldwide.
Since the 2017 Champions Trophy, Pakistan have failed to defeat India in ODIs. This includes losses in the 2025 Champions Trophy and 2023 ODI World Cup, taking the tally to six consecutive defeats. The side, which was the original host for the ICC ODI event, crashed out of the tournament at the group stage after losing to New Zealand and India. Meanwhile, India went on to lift the title while remaining unbeaten.
While praising the Indian team, Saqlain Mushtaq said that the BCCI should look to have India play matches with Pakistan in all three formats if they believe their team is that good. He also said that Pakistan just needs to get its house in order, and the results will be there for everyone to see.
Reacting sharply after India’s thrilling four-wicket win over New Zealand in the Champions Trophy 2025 final, Yograj Singh hit back at the Pakistan legend, saying that even India’s ‘B’ team would be enough to take on Pakistan.
Yuvraj Singh’s father Yograj Singh drops a fiery response to Saqlain Mushtaq’s remarks on Team India after 2025 CT final
Former India player Yuvraj Singh’s father Yograj Singh launched a scathing attack against former Pakistan player and coach Saqlain Mushtaq following his challenge to the Men in Blue after the 2025 Champions Trophy final.
The legendary Pakistani spinner spoke about testing the Indian side by playing 10 Tests, as many ODIs, and T20Is against the Men in Green. The remarks came even after Rohit Sharma and Co. beat Mohammad Rizwan-led side by six wickets in the group-stage game.
Yograj said that such former players don’t know how to appreciate anyone. He added that they haven’t learned anything since the partition between the two countries after Independence from British rule. He also pointed out that the ex-Pakistan players mocked their team. The 66-year-old told ANI:
“I read Saqlain’s comment. What are you trying to get into? They don’t know how to appreciate it. They just speak. So, a lot of mouths were shut. They haven’t learned in 78 years. What can I teach them? People who keep berating their players, what can you teach them?”
Yograj Singh also echoed similar sentiments as former India captain Sunil Gavaskar, who believes that the Men in Blue’s ‘B’ team are enough to beat Pakistan. He said in the same interaction:
“They should learn how to run a country from India and its government. It feels like India is playing a local team. They should try to play against our ‘B’ team.”
Pakistan have failed to beat India in ODIs since the 2017 Champions Trophy, including the 2025 Champions Trophy and 2023 ODI World Cup, losing six matches in a row.
The Men in Green, who were the original hosts of the ICC ODI event, crashed out of the 50-over tournament in the group stage after losses to New Zealand and India. Their meek performances drew criticism from former players, including erstwhile skippers Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Mohammad Hafeez, Inzamam-ul-Haq, and legendary pacer Shoaib Akhtar.
Pakistan will next play a five-match T20I series and three ODIs against the Black Caps in New Zealand. Mohammad Rizwan has retained his place as ODI skipper, while Salman Agha Ali has replaced the former as T20I skipper on the road to the 2026 T20 World Cup.