IPL 2021: "He drops factoids from time to time while batting" Robin Uthappa opens up on sharing the crease with CSK captain MS Dhoni
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) batsman Robin Uthappa recently spoke candidly about his cricketing career on popular sports presenter Gaurav Kapur's podcast 22 Yarns. The right-handed batsman also gave fans a glimpse of how it was sharing the crease with some stalwarts of Indian cricket.
The IPL veteran revealed that he relishes batting alongside CSK captain MS Dhoni. Uthappa pointed out that the decorated wicketkeeper-batsman has a propensity for dropping factoids while batting.
"I enjoy batting with Mahi. He is a lot of fun while batting. He drops factoids from time to time while batting."
Speaking of one such instance, the 35-year-old recalled a similar incident that took place during a practice game. He was batting with Dhoni on a sweltering day ahead of the IPL season. It was then that the Ranchi-born cricketer randomly pointed out that the runways in middle-eastern countries are longer than usual because of the lack of air.
"After years we batted together in a practice game as a part of preparation for the IPL. That day it was very hot. I was like, dude it's hot and there is no wind. He was like yeah, that's why in these middle-eastern countries the aeroplane runways are longer than normal because there is not enough air to lift off."
Uthappa, who has plied his trade for a number of franchises in the cash-rich league, attained monumental success during his sting with the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). He also suggested that he had a lot of fun while batting with KKR skipper Gautam Gambhir as well.
Robin Uthappa shares his experience of opening the batting with Sachin Tendulkar
The dynamic batter reckoned that batting with Sachin Tendulkar was the proudest moment of his career. He remembered how he would visualize opening the innings with the Indian batting maestro while practicing with a hanging ball during his childhood.
"When I was 12 years old, I would bat on my hanging ball and would visualize opening the batting with Paaji. I would visualize having partnerships with Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly."
Uthappa stated that he was mesmerized to share the dressing room with the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman. The player said that he would just sit and observe the senior players routines and try to learn from the same.
Robin Uthappa in IPL 2021
While Uthappa is approaching the twilight of his cricket career, he has an opportunity to finish on a high note by making an impact in the upcoming second phase of IPL 2021 for CSK. The swashbuckler, however, is yet to feature in a single game in the latest edition.
MS Dhoni and co. will be seen in action as they take on arch-rivals Mumbai Indians on September 19, in the opening clash of the UAE leg. They currently occupy second place in the points table with five wins from seven matches.