Robin Uthappa revealed that Yuvraj asked for a point deduction in the fitness test but was denied any leniency by the team management. Yuvraj Singh, 43, announced his international retirement in 2019, having last played in the IPL in the same year for Mumbai Indians
Pawan Negi, Virat Kohli, Parthiv Patel, Robin Uthappa (Pic: AFP)
Former Team India cricketer Robin Uthappa has indirectly held Virat Kohli for cutting short Yuvraj Singh's career after the star all-rounder returned to the game after beating cancer.
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One of India's premier all-rounder Yuvraj Singh, was one of the big reasons for the team's World Cup wins. After winning the ODI World Cup in 2011, the veteran was diagnosed with cancer and was taken to the US for further treatment.
Yuvraj Singh made a stunning comeback in the team and also scored a century against England in ODI. Later, after a few outings in the Champions Trophy 2017, he was ignored and the veteran decided to draw curtains on his career in 2019.
Telling the story as he saw it, Robin Uthappa said during an interview on 'Lallantop', "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."
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Robin 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."
Robin Uthappa revealed that Yuvraj asked for a point deduction in the fitness test but was denied any leniency by the team management. However, he was able to clear the test and make a comeback to the side before being dropped after a poor outing 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.
Expressing his views about Virat Kohli's captaincy, Robin Uthappa said, "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 Singh, 43, announced his international retirement in 2019, having last played in the IPL in the same year for Mumbai Indians.
(With PTI Inputs)
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