Interview with Robin Uthappa
Cricketfundas.com is proud to bring out the profile of a talented youngster who is knocking the big doors of Indian Cricket. We are talking about Robin Uthappa – the man instrumental in winning the Asia U-19 cup played in Pakistan recently.
Robin Uthappa, the Karnataka batsman is a 19 year old lad, who stole the show with an 86-ball 88 that took India to victory with more than five overs to spare. Uthappa, the Man of the Match in the final, has been talked about as a youngster with great talent in Karnataka.
A batsman who likes to play his strokes, he has worked on tightening up his technique in recent months. He counts his experience at the Cricket Club of India in Mumbai, where he was coached for a while by Bob Simpson, as a big factor in his improvement. Currently Robin is in the Indian U-19 World Cup Squad and the Karnataka Ranji squad. One look at his game, that I had when he was batting at the Gymkhana, Secunderabad in the 2nd Innings of Karnataka, although he may not have scored many runs, was that this man has a compact defense that is required for an opener and the time he has for playing the pace bowlers both on front-foot and back-foot. Robin Uthappa is surely a blossoming flower in Indian Cricket . CricketFundas wishes Robin all the success in the forthcoming U-19 World Cup .
Interview with Robin Uthappa
Robin, first of all congrats on winning the Asia U-19 Cup.
Thank You very much.
What is the success story behind Robin Uthappa making it to the India U-19 team and now the Karnataka Ranji squad?
I have been working hard, been performing and definitely a little bit of luck .
So when did Robin Uthappa actually pick up Cricket?
When I was about 7 years old, I just started playing Cricket for passing my time and very soon I started to like the game, started dreaming about playing for India. My parents seeing this, joined me in the Brijesh Patel Cricket Academy . My school – St. Joseph Boy’s High School had give me plenty of opportunities in the inter school tournaments, leagues and all.
What was the first major step for you at the State level?
Making it to the Karnataka U-13 team in the second attempt.
And the major breakthrough you think that has brought you in the India U-19?
There were these selection matches for the Karnataka U-17and I scored about 800 runs in that series. One more breakthrough I should say was a match between the National Cricket Academy Team and K.S.C.A.XI. I scored 80 and fortunately for me, Dilip Vengsarkar was watching that match and was impressed with my game.
If you can name one individual who had a major influence in your career?
Ghulam Samdhani, He has been a major influence in my life.
Who has been your role model ?
It has to be Rahul Dravid .
Robin, we have heard that you can also keep wickets and that too keep well enough, so what is it really that you can do with the ball and keeping?
I bowl off-break, wicket-keeping came to me in a state game in which our keeper got injured , and I volunteered to be the fill-in wicket keeper. I got as many as 5 victims in about an hour thanks to our pace bowlers (chuckling..).
What are your immediate targets, now that you are into the Karnataka Ranji team?
I have to cement my place in the Ranji team, the competition for places is very stiff.
If you can share with us experiences of playing in Pakistan and also crossing the Wagah Border on your way back to India.
It was a great experience playing in Pakistan. Initially we were little intimidated on thinking how the local people would receive us. But they were really very warm and we could get along with them very well. I recall one incident, where we were at the STD/ISD booth calling back home and the people were feeding us with sandwiches and cokes.
Crossing the Wagah Border is something I would cherish throughout my life. We walked past the Wagah Border from Pakistan to India amidst soldiers of the two sides holding their guns and the feeling of ‘Indianism’ we felt after putting our foot again on Indian soil was just amazing .