Robin Uthappa criticizes Virat Kohli's treatment of Yuvraj post-cancer battle
What's the story
Former Indian cricketer Robin Uthappa has slammed Virat Kohli for his treatment of Yuvraj Singh, after the latter's fight with cancer. Uthappa drew parallels between Kohli's captaincy and Rohit Sharma's, while speaking on Lallantop. He hinted Kohli was to blame for Yuvraj's ouster from the Indian side, after his failed comeback attempt post-cancer treatment.
Career recap
Yuvraj's cricket career and cancer battle
Yuvraj Singh, a legendary all-rounder and integral part of India's 2007 World T20 and 2011 ODI World Cup wins, was diagnosed with stage-1 cancerous tumor in his left lung after the 2011 World Cup. Despite his successful treatment and return to cricket in December 2012, he wasn't picked for the 2013 Champions Trophy squad owing to inconsistent performance.
Leadership critique
Uthappa's criticism of Kohli's leadership
Uthappa was also disappointed with Kohli dropping Yuvraj after a poor Champions Trophy and a 2017 West Indies tour. He said, "Take Yuvi Pa's instance. The man beat cancer, and he is trying to come back into the international side." Uthappa then accused Kohli of not giving Yuvraj enough time or leniency in fitness tests to make a successful comeback.
Request revealed
Uthappa reveals Yuvraj's request to Kohli
Uthappa revealed that Yuvraj had asked for a two-point reduction in the fitness test level, but was denied by Kohli. He said, "So when Yuvi requested for that two-point deduction, he didn't get it." Uthappa also alleged that after passing the fitness test and rejoining the team, Yuvraj was completely sidelined after a lean tournament.
Leadership comparison
Uthappa compares Kohli and Rohit's leadership styles
Uthappa contrasted Kohli's and Rohit's leadership styles, calling the former 'exclusive' and the latter 'inclusive.' He implied Kohli was a 'my way or the highway' kind of captain. On the other hand, Yuvraj had announced his retirement from international cricket on June 10, 2019. His last appearance was in IPL 2019 when he played for Mumbai Indians.