Robin Uthappa, with his hard hitting aggressive style of batting, has won the hearts of cricket fans in the Indian subcontinent. Though he has never truly succeeded in being a regular in Team India, Robin Uthappa has been a high performer both in the domestic cricket scene as well as the IPL, the cricket extravaganza.
Interestingly, Robin Uthappa is a versatile cricketer. He started off his career as a wicket-keeper batsman, but soon threw away his gloves to concentrate on batting. The cricketer is also a handy right arm medium pacer who has at times exhibited the knack of picking up crucial wickets.
His Initial Years
The cricketer was born in Kodagu, Karnataka, on November 11, 1985. No in his family really had a cricketing background. His father Venu Uthappa, who owns a coffee estate, is a former international hockey referee while his mother, Rosy Uthappa, runs a boutique in Bangalore.
Robin Uthappa had a natural sporting talent and played competitive hockey as well as tennis during his school days. In fact, he has played hockey not just at the school level but also at the state sub-junior level. But cricket was the sport that he liked the best and he decided to concentrate on it.
His Cricketing Career
Robin Uthappa first burst into India’s cricket scene in the under-19 category. He was part of the squad that won the Asia Cup. He made his debut in domestic cricket during the 2002-2003 season in the Karnataka vs. Haryana match. During the season he made 445 runs in nine matches. An innings that cemented his reputation was the 66 runs that he made during the Challenger’s Trophy in 2005. His highest score in first class cricket is 162.
With his swashbuckling batting style, Robin Uthappa has gained recognition as a one-day batsman. He made his one-day domestic debut in 2002-03 against Andhra and scored 61 runs in 42 balls. After a series of good performances, Robin Uthappa won his India cap in 2005-2006. He made the team for the one-day international match played in Indore against England. He scored an impressive 86 off 96 balls.
But Robin Uthappa fell victim to poor form and the vagaries of selection and was discarded from the side. He made a comeback in 2007 and was even picked in the World Cup squad. Since then he has been a part of Team India on several occasions. He has also been part of the Mumbai Indians and Bangalore Royal Challengers IPL teams.
Robin Uthappa is definitely one of India’s more talented cricketers and his batting skills are matched by his athleticism on the field. The highlight of his career to date was probably being selected for the 2007 World Cup squad. He’s also had a very lucrative and successful career in the IPL. With time on his side, Robin Uthappa has a long innings to play for Indian cricket.
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