3 massive statements made against Virat Kohli by Robin Uthappa in latest podcast

Former India batter Robin Uthappa recently fired shots at Virat Kohli for his leadership style and how things were handled during his captaincy stint. He blamed Kohli's rigid approach for ending a few of his fellow players' international careers.

Kohli first led the Indian side in 2013, and eventually became the all-format captain in 2017. Under his leadership, India won 135 out of 213 international games before Rohit Sharma took over the captaincy reins in 2022.

In a recent interview with The Lallantop, Uthappa delved into a variety of topics related to his professional career, the current performance of the Indian team, and different lobbies working in Indian cricket.

On that note, let's take a look at Robin Uthappa's massive revelations about Virat Kohli.

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#1 Did Kohli end Yuvraj Singh's international career

early?

Robin Uthappa claimed Virat Kohli was responsible for ending Yuvraj Singh's career early. After beating cancer, Yuvraj managed to keep making appearances for the Indian team until 2014. He then made his return in 2016 and went on to slam his highest ODI score of 150 against England in January 2017.

After mediocre performances in the Champions Trophy and on the Caribbean tour, along with fitness issues, Yuvraj was dropped from the team. Now, Uthappa has shared what transpired before the dashing batter played his final international game in June 2017.

It all happened after Kohli laid emphasis on fitness and discipline and introduced the Yo-Yo test, which became a benchmark for the selection in the team. The move was aimed at matching the team's fitness with international standards.

Although the initiative brought a revolution, it also harmed some talented players like Yuvraj Singh. After beating a life-threatening disease in the past, the left-hand batter requested a slight relaxation in fitness requirements due to his health.

Despite his request being declined, Yuvraj cleared the test and was a part of the team. But, he was shown the door after returning with low scores in the next few innings.

According to Uthappa, Kohli cut short Yuvraj's international career. He said:

"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, along with the other players, but played an integral role in helping us win.

"Then for such a player, when you become captain, you say his lung capacity has diminished and you have been with him when you have seen him struggle. Nobody has told me this, I observe things. You have seen him struggle, then when you are captain, yes you have to maintain a level of standard, but there are always exceptions to the rule. Here is a man who deserves to be an exception because he is not just beaten and won you tournaments, but he has beaten cancer."

Uthappa added:

"So 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, 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, and that time it was according to him."

Check out Robin Uthappa's comments below:

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#2 Comparing Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma's leadership

During his appearance on the podcast, Robin Uthappa revealed that Virat Kohli wanted his players to match his fitness levels, eating habits and performances to retain their places in the Indian team.

As per Uthappa, Rohit Sharma's leadership is completely different, where he allows players to remain in their comfort zone and elevate their performances through discussions.

He pointed out that 'Hitman' had a long chat with Sanju Samson on why he wasn't playing in the 2024 T20 World Cup final, despite him being intimated about his selection in the XI for the game earlier. He said:

“Virat’s style of leadership was not inclusive. Virat’s style of leadership was very exclusive. You become like me then only you will be fit in, Rohit’s style of leadership is very inclusive. Aap jaha par bhi ho, waha par raho; hum baat karke aapki game ko uthayenge.

“I haven’t played under Virat as a captain very much. But Virat, as a captain, he was very ‘my way or the highway’ kind of a captain. It’s not like these guys aren’t also like that, but how you treat your team, how you treat your personnel, because it is not just about results.

"Virat’s style of captaincy was different to the extent that you needed to reach his level. Whether it was fitness, whether it was eating habits, whether it was listening, or agreeing, all of that had to happen at that standard," he added. [1:20:00 onwards]

Check out Robin Uthappa's comments below:

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#3 Did Virat Kohli cherry-pick his players?

Robin Uthappa brought the infamous controversy of Ambati Rayudu to the fore once again. Uthappa disclosed that Rayudu was provided with 2019 ODI World Cup clothes, suits, and kitbags as the batter was expected to be included in the squad. However, captain Virat Kohli and the selectors decided to go with Vijay Shankar, which sparked reactions from Rayudu on social media.

As per Uthappa, Rayudu wasn't provided a clear answer to why he was omitted from the final World Cup squad. He feels the decision shattered the confidence of Rayudu, who had worked hard to reach that level and dreamt of winning the World Cup for India.

“If Virat dislikes anyone or he feels someone is not good then they are out,” Utthappa said.

He added:

“Ambati Rayudu is a prime example. You feel bad for him. Every player works hard to reach at that level. Everyone has there own preferences I agree but you can’t take a player to the house and close the door on his face, in my opinion it’s wrong." [1:28:00 in the aforementioned video]