Virat Kohli Forced Yuvraj Singh to Retire from Cricket: Robin Uthappa

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Yuvraj Singh has been one of India’s greatest cricket stars. From hitting six sixes in an over in the 2007 T20 World Cup to playing a big role in India’s 2011 World Cup win, Yuvraj’s legacy in Indian cricket is unforgettable. However, his career took a hit when he was diagnosed with lung cancer. Despite his brave fight and a comeback to international cricket, his career ended in 2019.

But according to Robin Uthappa, Yuvraj’s struggles were not just due to health issues. In an interview, Uthappa shared that former Indian captain Virat Kohli played a role in Yuvraj’s retirement. Uthappa described Kohli’s leadership style as “exclusive” and said it was difficult for players like Yuvraj to fit into his way of leading the team.

Uthappa explained that Kohli’s high standards were tough for Yuvraj, especially after he returned from cancer. Even though Yuvraj had been a match-winner and had overcome a major illness, Uthappa felt that Kohli did not offer him the support he needed.

“I haven’t played under Virat very much, but he is a very very different captain. He was very ‘my way or the highway’. It’s not that others were like that too, but it’s also about how you treat your team and personnel. It’s not just about results.”

Uthappa recalled that after Yuvraj beat cancer, he wanted to return to the Indian team. However, he faced tough fitness tests. Despite asking for a little relaxation in the standards because of his health, Yuvraj was denied. He took the challenge head-on and passed the fitness test. However, after just one disappointing tournament, Yuvraj was dropped again.

“Take Yuvi (Yuvraj Singh) pa’s instance. The man beat cancer and he is trying to come back to the international side. He’s a man who’s won us a World Cup, two in fact with others playing an integral role as well. Then you tell such a player, as the captain, that his lung capacity has diminished. You’ve been with him and seen him struggle.”

“Nobody has told me this. I merely observe these things.”

Uthappa stated that even though Yuvraj had shown great determination, the leadership under Virat Kohli did not provide him the space he deserved. Kohli’s powerful presence as the leader meant that his decisions were final, and Yuvraj’s return to the team was not considered after that.

“As the captain, I understand that there are standards to maintain. But for every standard, there is an exception to the rule. Here’s a man who deserve to be an exception, because he’s not just a man who has won you tournaments but also someone who’s beaten cancer, the hardest challenge in life in a sense. How about some cushion room for someone like that? At that time, Virat did not give him that leeway.”

“Yuvraj was told to do the fitness test, and even his request to drop the levels by two points due to his state of being was denied.”

In Uthappa’s view, Yuvraj deserved more understanding given his past achievements, including his victory over cancer. But under Kohli’s leadership, Yuvraj’s story ended with his retirement from international cricket.

“Yuvraj took on the challenge and said that he will do the test without the deductions. Because he wanted to be a part of the team again. Then, he passed the fitness test, came into the team and after one lean tournament, he was removed completely.” Uthappa added.

“After that, the thought of bringing him back in was not even entertained. The entire leadership group did not entertain the thought. Virat was the leader at that point in time, and it went according to his words because he is such a powerful presence.”

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