Former Indian cricketer Robin Uthappa has courted controversy with harsh criticism of Virat Kohli's leadership style, accusing him of sidelining Yuvraj Singh after his inspiring return from a battle with cancer.
He said Kohli's “exclusive” approach to captaining the team requires players to match his high standards of fitness, 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 skipper Virat Kohli did not extend support to a player who overcame life's toughest challenges to return to the game.
Robin Uthappa accuses Virat Kohli of sidelining Yuvraj Singh after cancer returns
Recently, Uthappa described Kohli's leadership as demanding and exclusive, saying the Indian batting icon expects players to meet his high standards of fitness, discipline and mentality. According to the former India batsman, there are two types of leaders: those who set a standard for others to reach and those who guide others and lift them to the desired level.
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Uthappa mentioned that both approaches can work, but an exclusive approach often leaves some feeling of neglect, and this was the case for legendary all-rounder Yuvraj Singh. The former India batsman, who played with the cricket icon, praised Yuvraj's comeback after his cancer victory and wondered why he did not get more support.
He stressed that although it is important to maintain high standards as a leader, exceptions must be made for the person who has overcome life's toughest challenges. Uthappa expressed his disappointment that Virat did not treat Yuvraj as an exception despite his tremendous contributions to Team India.
“You're saying his lung capacity has diminished.”: Robin Uthappa
Speaking on Lallantop, Robin Uthappa said: “Take the example of Yuvi Pa. The guy has beaten cancer, and he's trying to get back into the international team. He's the guy who was instrumental in helping us win the World Cup. Then for such a player, when you become a captain… You say that his lung capacity decreased, and you were with him when you saw him suffering.
“When you're a leader, yes, you have to maintain a level of standards, but there are always exceptions to the rule. Here is a guy who deserves to be an exception because not only has he beaten you and won championships, he's beaten cancer, he's beaten the toughest challenge in life in that sense.
Moreover, 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 it. Uthappa also claimed that Kohli influenced decisions and Yuvraj was never given the opportunity to prove himself.
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Robin Uthappa explains why Virat Kohli's 'exclusive' leadership style failed Yuvraj Singh
“So, when Yuvi asked for a two-point deduction, he didn't get it. Then he took the test because he was out of the team and they didn't take him in. He passed the fitness test and got into the team and had a poor tournament and they took him out completely. He didn't entertain him after that. Whoever was in the leadership group didn't entertain him,” Uthappa noted. At that time, Virat was the leader, and things went his way because of his strong personality, and at that time things were according to his opinion.”
Finally, Uthappa compared the leadership styles of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, describing the former Indian skipper's style as “exclusive” and the current skipper's style as “inclusive”. Uthappa pointed out that Kohli's “my way or the highway” approach as a leader focused more on results than on how players were treated, but Rohit's leadership is about building a team where everyone feels valued.
