Virat Kohli cut short Yuvraj Singh's career? Uthappa reveals fitness test drama

Former batter Robin Uthappa has held Virat Kohli indirectly responsible for cutting short Yuvraj Singh's international career after he beat cancer to return to the team.

In Short

• Robin Uthappa indirectly blamed Virat Kohli for Yuvraj Singh's retirement
• Yuvraj Singh sought fitness leniency post-cancer which was denied by Kohli
• Yuvraj Sing was key in India's twin World Cup wins and retired in 2019

Former batter Robin Uthappa has indirectly held Virat Kohli's captaincy responsible for cutting short Yuvraj Singh's international cricket career after the star all-rounder's cancer battle. Uthappa claimed that Yuvraj's request for certain fitness concessions, following his recovery from cancer, was denied by Kohli, who was then the captain of the Indian team.

Yuvraj Singh, widely regarded as one of India's finest white-ball cricketers, played a pivotal role in the team's twin World Cup triumphs under MS Dhoni's captaincy. After his heroic performances in the 2011 ODI World Cup, Yuvraj was diagnosed with cancer and underwent treatment in the United States.

Defying the odds, Yuvraj made a remarkable recovery and returned to the Indian team, even scoring a century against England in an ODI. However, after a subdued performance in the 2017 Champions Trophy, he was overlooked by the selectors and ultimately retired from international cricket in 2019.

Recalling these events during an interview with Lallantop, Uthappa said, "Take Yuvi Pa's instance. The man beat cancer and was trying to make a comeback 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."

Uthappa added, "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.

"He has beaten the hardest challenge in life in that sense. Some question room for someone like that."

Uthappa claimed that Yuvraj requested a point deduction in the fitness test but was granted mercy by the team management. However, he passed the test and returned to the team before being dropped following a disappointing performance in the Champions Trophy in England.

"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," Uthappa said.

Uthappa described Kohli's leadership approach as 'my way or the highway'.

"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 to treat your team, how you treat your personnel, because it is not just about results."

Yuvraj, 43, announced his international retirement in 2019, having last played in the IPL in the same year for Mumbai Indians.