In an interview conducted in 2019, former Indian cricketer Robin Uthappa criticized Virat Kohli for failing to include Ambati Rayudu in India’s roster for the ODI World Cup that year. After suffering injuries from losing his spot in the squad despite his outstanding performances, Rayudu announced his retirement from all forms of international cricket in July 2019.
After giving the conversation some thought, Uthappa acknowledged that his relationship with Kohli had soured ever since the Karnataka batsman had voiced his disapproval in public. However, the former Indian wicketkeeper believes that before making the scathing comments against the Indian team’s captain at the time, he ought to have spoken with Kohli.
“The purpose of the entire conversation was not to bring up Kohli.
I was supposed to be the focus of that interview. I answered a question that was posed to me. I didn’t pay attention to Virat’s feelings at the moment, or the fact that, even if this is what I think, he should know, therefore I have the right to express it. That affected my friendship or relationship with Virat. Based only on that one-on-one interaction, I saw that for what it was. My takeaway from that was that, even though that was what I thought, I realized after talking to him about it that I ought to have done it earlier,” Uthappa said on his YouTube page.
Uthappa restated the previous point and noted that, in retrospect, he ought to have been more tactful about the situation even though he disagreed with Kohli’s “style of leadership.” The 39-year-old ended by urging the cricket community to adopt a more reflective attitude. The Coorg native claims to have learned a valuable lesson from it.
“I kept my encounter with Virat to myself. I talked about my observations of one of my best friends being led by him. It was the leadership style, not even his leadership. Each and every person has the right to express their unique opinions and leadership style. I believed that before discussing it on national television, I ought to have discussed it with him, at least in terms of our relationship. That was what I took away from it, and I believe that cricket players or those in the same fraternity should also be treated with compassion,” he continued.
For those who are unaware, Rayudu was publicly supported by Kohli to start for India at number four in the months leading up to the World Cup. However, because selectors favored all-rounder Vijay Shankar, the Guntoor native was left off of the roster for the mega competition. During that time, Kohli’s management style and fitness standards were criticized.
India
