Its Only Cricket

Robin Uthappa unleashed...!!

Filed under Cricket Player Profile

You must have done nearly all the things "perfectly right" all through your life if you make your debut for Indian cricket team at the age of 20 years and 151 days... but that's not the case with Robin Uthappa - the young opener that India unleashed on 12th of April 2006 against struggling England side. Robin wears the Indian colours mainly because of just one knock that he played against India A on 12th October 2005 at Mohali where he smashed 116 runs off just 93 balls. In fact - opening the innings for India B side, Uthappa jumped from 61 to 100 in just 14 balls and made the opositions victory target of 264 runs look rubbish, which included Laxmipathi Balaji, VRV Singh and Rudra Pratap Singh.....Here is that India A vs India B scorecard.

This challengers trophy match was watched by Indian coach Greg Chappell, captain Rahul Dravid and also chief selector Kiran More and that's why, it can be safely said that this Karnataka opener selected the best day to show his skills with the bat and Robin Uthappa.jpg

made a huge mark. Full name - Aiyudda Robin Uthappa has a mediocre average of 32.40 in 20 Ranji matches in two seasons so far, but that Challengers trophy match proved his attacking batsmanship abilities where he played his favourite shots like Square cut, pulls shots and hits straight over the fast bowlers head. Son of former Hockey raferee Venu Uthappa, Robin Uthappa is kind of an arrogant batsman when he gets going, trying to hit every ball out of the ground and probably that is the reason for his low average in Indian domestic cricket till date, but the potential is all there...

In fact, he was always seen as someone with special talent - Uthappa was asked not to attend his classes at Mahavir Jain Mandir(at the cost of cricket), where he studied B.Com, if he didn't wished. He had to attend the practicles classes though...

Times have changed a little for Robin now and he has become a more matured batsman. Now he explains himself as - "Nothing gives me more satisfaction than the challenge of opening the batting and seeing off the red cherry " and "I know I have something special in me. I know I can play at the highest level, but at the same time, I know that merely playing shots I won't get there. I need to score big runs, spend more time at the crease."

Robin Uthappa is a complete package of cricketing skills.... he can keep the wickets (he says - Wicketkeeping came to me in a state game in which our keeper got injured and I volunteered to be fill-in wicket keeper. I got as many as 5 victims in about an hour of cricket) and Robin can also bowl medium pacers. Going by his long height - Robin is 181 inches tall, he can be a useful part time bowler in one day cricket as well. Another big factor in favour of Robin Uthappa(view his profile) is that he is a fit young man with exceptional fielding abilities. But this was not the case with Robin some years ago - he was a "puppy fat boy" in his early days but gave up his favourite food like "Coorg pandi curry, Mutton and rice" in order to gain the fitness that it takes to be an International cricketer..

Robin saw a dream of playing for Indian cricket team by watching Sachin Tendulkar and Ajay Jadeja dominate the bowling and always tried to copy their style. But times have changed for this best friend of " Indian snooker maestro Pankaj Advani" and now he tries to be a responsible batsman most of the times and tries to keep his attacking batsmanship quite when he starts his innings.

Let's wish him good luck...!!

Its Only Cricket

Robin Uthappa unleashed...!!

Related Articles

Get new posts in email

feeds