Former India cricketer Robin Uthappa has courted controversy with a scathing criticism of Virat Kohli's leadership style, accusing him of sidelining Yuvraj Singh after his inspired comeback from a battle with cancer.
He said Kohli's “exclusive” captaincy approach required players to match his high fitness standards, leaving little room for exceptions, even for a player of Yuvraj's stature. Highlighting Yuvraj Singh's invaluable contributions, including his role in India's World Cup victories, Robin Uthappa questioned why former captain Virat Kohli did not extend support to a player who had overcome the toughest challenge of his life to return to game.
Robin Uthappa accuses Virat Kohli of sidelining Yuvraj Singh after cancer returns
Uthappa recently described Kohli's captaincy as demanding and exclusive, saying the Indian batting icon expected players to meet his high standards in terms of fitness, discipline and mentality. According to the former Indian batsman, there are two types of leaders: those who set a standard for others to reach and those who guide and lift others to the desired level.
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Uthappa noted that both approaches can succeed, but the exclusive style often leaves a feeling of exclusion, and that was the case with legendary all-rounder Yuvraj Singh. The former Indian batsman, who played with both cricketing icons, welcomed Yuvraj's comeback after beating cancer and questioned why he did not receive more support.
He stressed that while it is important to maintain high standards as a captain, exceptions should be made for someone who has overcome life's toughest challenges. Uthappa expressed his disappointment that Yuvraj was not treated as an exception by Virat despite his immense contributions to the Indian team.
“You say his lung capacity has diminished”: Robin Uthappa
Talking about Lallantop, Robin Uthappa said, “Take the example of Yuvi Pa. The man has beaten cancer and is trying to return to the international team. He is the man who was instrumental in helping us win the World Cup. Then, for such a player, when you become captain, you say that his lung capacity has diminished and you were with him when you saw him struggling.
“When you're captain, yes, you have to maintain a level of standard, but there are always exceptions to the rule. Here is a man who deserves to be an exception because he not only beat you and won tournaments, but he beat cancer. He beat life's hardest challenge in that regard.”
In addition, Robin Uthappa also criticized Virat Kohli for not supporting Yuvraj Singh's return to the Indian cricket team after his battle with cancer. He revealed that Yuvraj asked for a slight relaxation in the fitness test but Kohli denied. Uthappa also claimed that Kohli influenced the decisions and Yuvraj was never given an opportunity to prove himself.
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Uthappa remarked, “So when Yuvi asked for that two-run deduction, he didn't get it. Then he took the test because he was off the team and they weren't taking it. Passed the fitness test, got into the squad, had a poor tournament and completely scrapped it. I never entertained him after that. Who was in the leadership group did not entertain him. That time Virat was the leader and he went according to it because of his strong personality, and that time it was according to him.”
Finally, Uthappa compared the leadership styles of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, calling the former Indian skipper's approach “exclusive” and the current skipper's “inclusive”. Uthappa noted that Kohli's “my way or the highway” attitude as captain focused more on results than how the players were treated, but Rohit's leadership is about building a team where everyone feels appreciated.