His lusty blows and superlative fielding played a part in the Royal Challengers Bangalore making it to the semi finals of the IPL and booking a slot in the Champions League to be held later this year, Robin Uthappa is modest. “It was a team effort. I am happy that I was in form and managed to contribute to the performance. We had a very talented bunch of players.”
He adds: “We were happy to finish the tournament on a high. I feel that the IPL helps young players by providing a great platform to showcase their skills. This has been true not only for India, but many other teams as well. Moreover, the quality of cricket in the IPL is fairly high. It helps youngsters get exposure against international players.”
Despite the off-field controversies that the IPL made headlines for this season, the focus in the team remained on the cricket. “It did not concern us directly. Unless it affected the game in any way, I do not think we should have been bothered too much about it,” says Uthappa.
Though he enjoys the shorter format of the game, Uthappa is keen on securing a test cap. “A test cap is a true recognition of your skills and talent. Any budding cricketer yearns to get a test cap. With the IPL, I think many youngsters, who were slogging it out in the Ranji trophy, will get a chance to prove themselves before a larger audience.”
The son of a hockey referee, Uthappa was never keen on taking up hockey as a professional sport.
“I was very fascinated by cricket right from childhood. I remember my mother bowling to me, when I was very young and trying to connect with the ball.” When a slot in the Indian team was offered, Uthappa was thrilled. “I had grown up watching legends like Sachin and Anil Kumble. I was honoured to get a chance to play alongside these legends.”
Speaking of seniors in the Indian team with high regard, he says they are very helpful and co-operative. “This is probably a good time to be a cricketer. The atmosphere in the team is very positive.”
Away from cricket, Uthappa is a movie buff and spends most of his time meeting friends or catching up on Bollywood movies. “I do watch a lot of movies. My favourite movie of all time is ‘Forest Gump'.”
After joining Air India, Uthappa sold his stake from Bat and Ball, a restaurant floated in collaboration with fast bowler S. Sreesanth and a few others. “I had to leave it after Air India offered me a job. I am currently working on getting into an MBA programme and concentrating on my cricket as well.”
