HAPPY BIRTHDAY ROBIN UTHAPPA: Robin Uthappa is a name that always rings a bell in the minds of Indian fans, reminding them of a player with a robust build who was a vital cog in India’s T20 World Cup triumph in 2007. An appealing batsman to watch, Uthappa had all the shots in his book. The Karnataka sensation never backed down from smashing the ball regardless of the situation in a match. However, moderating his strokeplay proved to be his biggest frailty, keeping him out of the Indian squad for extended periods of time.
Uthappa made a stellar debut, scoring an unbeaten 86 against England in Indore. He has been a veteran in the Indian Premier League and has been part of different franchises in the cash-rich league. Uthappa announced his retirement from all forms of cricket earlier this year, drawing curtains to a two-decade-long professional career.
As Uthappa celebrates his 37th birthday today, let’s take a look at some of the interesting facts from his long career:
- Hails from a sporting backgroundThe Uthappa family was involved in sports even before Robin started playing for India. His father, Venu Uthappa was a former hockey umpire and the former President of the Karnataka Hockey Association.
- Ranji Debut at 17Uthappa made his Ranji Trophy debut for Karnataka in 2002, when he was just 17 years old. Uthappa batted at number three against Haryana and got a fast 40. Uthappa had made his List A debut for Karnataka a few days before his Ranji debut, scoring 61 runs against Andhra Pradesh.
- Vital cog of India U-19Uthappa was an important piece of India’s under-19 cricket roster, which competed in the 2004 ICC Under-19 World Cup. Alongside skipper Ambatti Rayudu, Suresh Raina, Shikhar Dhawan, and Dinesh Karthik, Uthappa had a great tournament but could not make it to the finals.
- Dream run in inaugural T20 World CupUthappa made his T20I debut against Scotland in 2007 during the ICC T20 World in South Africa. In India’s blockbuster clash against Pakistan in the group stage, Uthappa stepped up and smashed his maiden T20I fifty. In the same match, he was one of the bowlers from the Indian contingent to hit the stumps in the ball out after the match resulted in a draw. He provided good starts to India, opening along with Gautam Gambhir. His efforts helped India to lift the title in Kingsmead and become the champions of the inaugural edition of the World Cup.
- IPL Orange Cap winnerThough Uthappa failed to cement his place in the Indian line-up, he was a mainstay for the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL. In 2014, he had a remarkable season amassing 660 runs and securing the Orange Cap. His flamboyant batting led Kolkata to the title in the same year.
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