Former Indian cricketer Robin Uthappa has suggested that Virat Kohli indirectly influenced the premature end of Yuvraj Singh’s international career, citing a lack of fitness leniency granted to the all-rounder despite his valiant return post-cancer treatment.
During an interview, Uthappa expressed concerns over Kohli’s leadership style and alleged lack of empathy towards Yuvraj. “Take Yuvi Pa's instance.
The man beat cancer, and he is trying to come back into the international side. He is the man who won us a World Cup, won us two World Cups for that matter… but played an integral role in helping us win," said Uthappa.
Yuvraj, a key figure in India’s twin World Cup triumphs in 2007 and 2011 under MS Dhoni’s leadership, battled cancer after the 2011 ODI World Cup victory.
Despite his heroic recovery and a return to international cricket, his career saw an abrupt decline post the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy.
Uthappa recounted that Yuvraj had sought minor leniency in fitness tests, only to be denied. He eventually cleared the tests, made a comeback, but was dropped after a lean performance in the Champions Trophy. “When Yuvi requested for that two-point deduction, he didn’t get it. Then he did the test… passed it, came inside the team, had a lean tournament, took him out totally. Never entertained him after that,” Uthappa said.
Attributing these decisions to Kohli’s “my way or the highway” leadership approach, Uthappa opined that such rigidity can impact the morale and careers of even accomplished players.
“How to treat your team, how you treat your personnel, because it is not just about results,” he remarked.
Yuvraj, who retired from international cricket in 2019, played his last IPL season for the Mumbai Indians the same year.
His legacy remains as one of India’s finest white-ball cricketers, with notable contributions in critical moments.
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