"Felt bad when I moved from RCB to Pune Warriors India " - Robin Uthappa opens up on his early years in IPL
Former India batter Robin Uthappa has revealed that he was disappointed after not being retained by the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) ahead of the 2011 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Uthappa, who played two seasons for the Bangalore-based franchise, stated that the franchise not persisting with him took him by surprise, given his impressive performances. The dynamic batter was roped in by the now-defunct Pune Warriors India for a whopping ₹9.66 crore at the auction.
Recalling the period, here's what he told (16:21) Sportstar:
"I felt bad when I moved from RCB to Pune Warriors India because I would have loved to play for RCB. In fact, I thought I'd get retained because I won the award for hitting the highest number of sixes, and won a few matches single-handedly."
Robin Uthappa also spoke about the challenges he faced during his first year with RCB in 2009. He mentioned that it was tough for him to shift loyalties, as he was still very attached to Mumbai Indians, his first IPL franchise.
The 37-year-old highlighted that his relationship with the-then RCB coach Ray Jennings played a big role in his success, adding (15:24):
"My first year in RCB was very tragic for me. Although I loved my two years with RCB, they were very forthcoming. Ray Jennings was an incredible coach and literally took care of me as a son there. We shared a very cordial relationship. Even though he was a hard taskmaster, I enjoyed my time with him.
"He made me work hard, and I liked that part. But that part of feeling loyal to Mumbai Indians didn't go away that first season. I was very conflicted throughout the season. I wasn't able to find myself at all with RCB," he added.
Uthappa finished his career as an IPL veteran, having represented six franchises in the tournament. He amassed 4952 runs from 205 matches at an average of 27.51.
His best season came in 2014, when he was with the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). He chalked up 660 runs in the edition, becoming the first-ever Orange Cap winner to win the IPL in the same season.
"Had to win Gautam Gambhir's confidence" - Robin Uthappa on playing as an opener for KKR
Robin Uthappa suggested that he was signed by KKR as a middle-order batter but was keen to play as an opener, considering his impressive form while batting at the top in domestic cricket.
He stated that he had to convince skipper Gautam Gambhir, who himself was struggling for form during the tournament. Uthappa said (24:05):
"I had to win Gautam Gambhir's confidence. It took a process for me to be able to start opening the batting with Gauti in that season. It wasn't an easy process because I was picked as a middle-order batter.
"My domestic season was so good as an opener, with winning the Ranji Trophy and top-scoring in the Vijay Hazare, the confidence was very, very high."
Speaking about how he had to make a lot of effort to convince Gambhir, he added (24:56):
"Gauti was getting out inside the first few overs. I probably caught him at the wrong time because he was in the throws of his own struggle. I caught him on the wrong foot, and then I had to mend those fences with him to be able to start opening the batting with him."
Uthappa's promotion to the top of the order reaped great benefits for KKR. With 2439 runs, he remains the second-highest run-getter for the franchise in the league's history.