Image: Robin Uthappa criticized Virat Kohli for Yuvraj Singh's exclusion from Team India / © One Cricket
Robin Uthappa, former Indian cricketer, recently accused Virat Kohli of playing a role in Yuvraj Singh’s exclusion from the Indian cricket team. Speaking during an interview, Uthappa criticized Kohli’s leadership style, claiming it lacked inclusivity and imposed stringent fitness standards that disadvantaged players like Yuvraj.
When Yuvi requested for that two-point deduction, 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 inside the team, had a lean tournament, and they took him out totally. Never entertained him after that. Whoever was in the leadership group didn’t entertain him. That time Virat was the leader, and it went according to him due to his strong personality.
Yuvraj, a two-time World Cup winner, made a heroic comeback to cricket after battling cancer but faced challenges due to declining form. According to Uthappa, Yuvraj requested a two-point relaxation in fitness tests, which Kohli reportedly denied. Despite clearing the test and rejoining the team, Yuvraj had a lean tournament and was subsequently dropped after the 2013 Champions Trophy, with no further opportunities extended to him.
Uthappa emphasized Yuvraj’s contributions, including his pivotal roles in the 2007 T20 World Cup and 2011 ODI World Cup, where he was Player of the Tournament. He argued that Yuvraj’s unique circumstances warranted leniency. Uthappa also critiqued Kohli’s “exclusive” leadership style for creating unrealistic standards that left players feeling unsupported. This revelation has reignited debates about Kohli’s captaincy and team management.