Robin Uthappa opens up on fallout
Robin Uthappa said his criticism of Virat Kohli in 2019 affected their relationship and admitted he should have spoken to the former India captain privately.
Former India cricketer Robin Uthappa has reflected on an interview he gave in 2019 during which he criticised Virat Kohli for not picking Ambati Rayudu in India’s squad for the ODI World Cup. Rayudu retired from all formats of international cricket in July 2019 after being hurt by the omission despite consistent performances.
Looking back, Uthappa admitted that his relationship with Kohli deteriorated after he spoke publicly on the matter. The former wicketkeeper-batter now feels he should have consulted Kohli first before making such strong remarks against the then India captain.
“In that whole conversation, the intent was not to speak about Virat. That interview was meant to be about me. I was asked a question which I spoke to. I didn’t take into consideration at that point the sentiments of Virat or the fact that even if this is what I believe, he should know what I believe and that gives me the right to voice that. My relationship or my camaraderie with Virat was impacted by that. I saw that for what it was, just based on that one-on-one relationship. My learning from that was, when I spoke to him about it, I acknowledged that I should have spoken to him before, even if it was what I believed,” Uthappa said on his YouTube channel.
Uthappa reiterated his point and added that while he had an issue with Kohli’s ‘style of leadership’, he should have been more sensitive in handling the matter. The 39-year-old concluded by stressing the importance of thoughtfulness within the cricketing community, calling it a life lesson.
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“I didn’t speak about my experience with Virat. I spoke about what I saw one of my closest friends experience under his leadership. It wasn’t even his leadership, it was the style of leadership. Everyone is entitled to have their own style of leadership, and everyone is entitled to have their opinion. I felt, at least for my relationship with him, I should have spoken to him about it before I spoke about it on national television. That was my learning from that, and I think that sensitivity we must extend to cricketers or people in the same fraternity,” he added.
For context, Kohli had openly backed Rayudu to bat at No. 4 for India in the months leading up to the World Cup. However, the selectors opted for all-rounder Vijay Shankar instead. At the time, Kohli’s leadership style and fitness standards also came under criticism.
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Last Updated on September 3, 2025
