Robin Venu Uthappa is an Indian cricketer who was born in Kodagu, Karnataka, on November 11, 1985. He bats right-handed and can also double as a part-time wicketkeeper.
At the age of ten, Robin was diagnosed with epilepsy (a brain disorder), which made it difficult for him to keep a healthy weight. Venu’s father, an international hockey umpire, later became the president of the Karnataka Hockey Association.
Domestic Career
Robin Uthappa rose to prominence after a 66-run inning for India B versus India A in the 2005 Challenger Trophy. He also scored a match-winning century in just 93 deliveries in the same tournament. During the 2004 ICC U19 cricket world cup, he was a member of the India U-19 squad, which included players including Shikhar Dhawan and Suresh Raina. Uthappa scored a whopping 857 runs in just seven games during the 2006-07 Ranji Trophy season, making it impossible to keep him out of the national team.
IPL Career
When it comes to the Indian Premier League, Robin Uthappa has always been a “hot” star. He began his career with the Mumbai Indians, where he had a decent season with a few 30s. The next year, he switched teams with Zaheer Khan and joined Royal Challengers Bangalore. He made a few fifties there before joining the Pune Warriors India in 2011 for about Rs. 9 crores.
His best results came with the Kolkata Knight Riders, for whom he was selected in 2014. He began his career as an opener for them and was awarded an orange cap during that season. He also smashed Matthew Hayden’s (8) record by scoring eleven 40+ runs in the 2014 IPL season. Uthappa was a key member of KKR’s title-winning teams in 2012 and 2014, scoring 405 and 660 runs respectively. He was purchased by Rajasthan Royals for INR 3 crores during the IPL Players Auction ahead of IPL 2020 after being released by KKR. Uthappa has 4427 runs in 180 IPL matches, making him one of the tournament’s leading run scorers.
International Career
In 2006, Uthappa made his ODI debut against England in Indore. He scored 86 runs before being bowled out, making it a very good match for him. He was unable to secure his place in the squad, however, due to his poor results. He was reintroduced to the team in the 2007-08 NatWest series, and he got a chance to play in the sixth match. With his innings of 47 runs off 33 hits, he led India to victory. He was able to maintain his place in the Indian team after that inning. Robin was named to the Indian One Day International squad for the final two matches against Sri Lanka in November 2014.Robin was also named to India’s 30-man squad for the 2015 Cricket World Cup, but he did not make the final cut. In 2015, Robin Uthappa was part of the Indian squad that toured Zimbabwe.
Uthappa was also a member of India’s World T20 winning squad in 2007. He scored 113 runs in seven matches, with the highest score of 50 and a strike rate of over 113. In a T20 international match against Pakistan in 2007, he became the first Indian player to score a half-century. In T20 cricket, he also holds the world record for 10 straight 40+ performances.