Robin Uthappa blames Virat Kohli for cutting short Yuvraj Singh’s career

Dubai: Yuvraj Singh’s battle with cancer and his attempt to return to international cricket is a story of resilience. Yet, one of his closest teammates, Robin Uthappa, suggests that it was Virat Kohli’s leadership style that may have been the final barrier to Yuvraj’s comeback. In a revealing interview, Uthappa opens up about the internal struggles faced by the former World Cup hero, questioning whether his recovery and legacy were truly respected by those in charge.

After India’s 2011 World Cup victory, Yuvraj was struck with a cancerous tumour in his left lung, a diagnosis that left his career in limbo. Though he made a remarkable recovery and fought to rejoin the Indian team, his fitness was never quite the same. Uthappa, who shared the field with Yuvraj during India’s historic World Cup wins, reveals the internal struggles that followed — highlighting a leadership dynamic that may have hindered Yuvraj’s return to the international fold.

Uthappa elaborated on the challenges Yuvraj faced during this period.

“Virat’s style of captaincy was different to the extent that you needed to reach his level. Whether it was fitness, eating habits, listening, or agreeing, all of that had to happen at that standard,” Uthappa said in an interview with Lallantop.

“The man beat cancer, and he is trying to come back into the international side. He is the man who played an integral role in helping India win two World Cups. Then, for such a player, when you become captain, you say his lung capacity has diminished. You had been with him when you had seen him struggle,” said Uthappa, who represented India in 46 ODIs and 13 T20Is.

“Nobody has told me this; I observe things,” added Uthappa, Yuvraj’s teammate during the 2007 T20 World Cup-winning campaign.

Uthappa suggested Yuvraj deserved special consideration given his contributions and the obstacles he overcame.

“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’s not just won you tournaments but has beaten cancer. He has overcome life’s hardest challenge.

“So when Yuvi requested that two-point deduction [in the fitness test], he didn’t get it. Then he did the test because he was outside the team, and they weren’t taking him in. He passed the fitness test, came into the team, but had a lean tournament. [They] took him out totally, never entertained him after that. Whoever was in the leadership group didn’t entertain him. At that time, Virat was the leader, and it went according to him due to his strong personality,” Uthappa explained.

Despite the challenges, Yuvraj made a brief return to the Indian team in 2012. He also achieved a significant milestone when Royal Challengers Bangalore, captained by Kohli, purchased him for a then-record Rs140 million in the 2014 IPL auction.

Yuvraj retired from international cricket in 2019. Meanwhile, Kohli, who endured a disappointing Test series in Australia, is focused on regaining his form.

“They’ve been performing for India for so many years, and sometimes they don’t get runs. There have been times when I haven’t gotten runs, and a lot of great players haven’t gotten runs. That does not mean they are no great,” Yuvraj remarked to Gulf News in Dubai on Monday.

Reports suggest that Kohli may play in the County Championship to regain his touch. However, his IPL commitments with Bengaluru, where he remains a key player, might limit his opportunities.

There is also speculation that Kohli could return as India’s Test captain after demonstrating his leadership during the Sydney Test.

Kohli’s former Bengaluru teammate, Faf du Plessis, expressed confidence in Kohli’s determination. “He will be super motivated to return to his run-making ways,” Du Plessis noted.

Yet, the once-revered “King Kohli” has recently become the centre of controversy, overshadowing his past accolades.