‘Virat Kohli forced Yuvraj Singh to retire’: Former Team India opener makes shocking revelations

Former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh was one among India’s best match-winners in white-ball cricket. He played a key role in India’s 2007 World T20 and 2011 ODI World Cup victories. He also hogged the limelight during the inaugural 2007 World T20 when he slammed six sixes in an over off Stuart Broad. 

However, after the 2011 World Cup, Yuvraj was diagnosed with cancer and underwent chemotherapy. After a prolonged battle, he made his comeback in December 2012 but wasn’t at the top of his game. He wasn’t picked for the 2013 Champions Trophy squad.

Though Yuvraj made another comeback when Virat Kohli was made the captain of the Indian team, he was finally dropped after poor performance in the Champions Trophy and followed by a 2017 tour of the West Indies.

In a recent interview, former India opener Robin Uthappa slammed Kohli over his treatment of Yuvraj Singh after he was diagnosed with cancer. Uthappa indirectly blamed Kohli for forcing Yuvraj out of the Indian team.

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“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. He has beaten the hardest challenge in life in that sense,” said Uthappa.

Moreover, Uthappa blamed Kohli for not giving Yuvraj enough time to make a perfect return to the Indian squad and not giving leniency in the fitness tests.

“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,” he added.