The resurgence of Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL after a tumultuous start to the Indian leg and an equally abysmal period in the Arab Emirates prior to that has been nothing less than spectacular. With the spinners turning it in their favor and Gautam Gambhir discovering form, it has been a promising comeback from the Knights. One of the foremost reasons behind these 4 consecutive wins has been the consistency of another man who has been striking gold ever since he began to open the batting for the Kolkata franchise.

The current IPL season has been a revelation for Robin Uthappa, who had done very little to impress the selectors in the last 5 years. Now given the opportunity of opening the batting with Gambhir, Uthappa seems determined to flick, cut and drive his way towards the Indian dressing room.

His smart exhibition of intelligent batsmanship and prudent shot selection has impressed all and sundry. His calm demeanor has been evident in the way he has handled pressure. In spite of wickets tumbling at the other end, Uthappa hasn’t compromised with his consistency and has almost always abided by the verified technicalities of the game, thereby offering very sparse chances to the opponents to claim his wicket.

The right-hander from Coorg had been one of the finest exponents of limited aggression during his tenure with the national team. However, as rough patches continued to haunt his career on an alarmingly frequent basis, he found himself ousted from the team in 2008 even before having debuted in Tests.

For the next few years Uthappa lagged behind while the likes of Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma and Suresh Raina consolidated their places in the Indian team. The appetite for returning to the field in national colors persuaded him to hire a personal coach and work on his technique.

He worked on his fitness, embraced various alterations in his initial movements and footwork and ensured a constructive influence of former India batsman Pravin Amre. The latter’s advice revitalized his aggressive approach and aided his renaissance in the domestic circuit.

During the Ranji Trophy, he managed to accumulate 374 runs in five matches regardless of recurring hamstring injuries as his state team went on to win the title. In the Vijay Hazare Trophy, he remained uniformly fluent while scoring 536 runs in eight matches and steering Karnataka to a historic domestic double.

He appears to have carried that form into the IPL as he continues to score effortlessly, flicking and driving on both the flanks even on slow and low wickets like Cuttack. In 11 matches so far, Uthappa has already garnered 422 runs at a remarkable average of 38.36 and is the leading run-scorer in the tournament behind Glenn Maxwell and Dwayne Smith. He has scored three half-centuries in the current season with the highest of 80 off 52 balls against Mumbai Indians and certainly looks well set for more.

Initially, KKR had opted for the tried-and-tested combination of Jacques Kallis and Gautam Gambhir at the top, thereby relegating Uthappa to the middle and lower middle order. However, a succession of pathetic performances by the apparently shallow batting order urged the Knights to assess their resources, the consequence of which promoted Uthappa to the top order.

The meticulously calculated maneuver earned rich dividends as the Gambhir-Uthappa pair put on four consecutive 50-run stands that allowed KKR back into the reckoning for a spot in the play-offs. Even when Gambhir failed to light the sparks, Uthappa continued to hold up the other end time and again.

An unruffled disposition and a penchant for scoring off the leg finds him ideally suited for the opener’s slot. Wristy surgical drives may elude him, but Uthappa’s precision and technical excellence makes him an artist of the finest caliber. While his masterful execution makes cricket look simple and elegant, it’s his temperament that defines his game.

It may appear premature to conclude, but Robin Uthappa may well be on route to script a mesmerizing comeback in national colors. With opening woes continuing to haunt the Indian team, Uthappa may be the man to offer the selectors much-needed respite. What remains to be seen is whether the timing of his peaking has been as immaculate and rewarding as that of his on-field strokes.

source: http://www.sportskeeda.com / SportsKeeda / Home> Opinion> Cricket> IPL / Ishan Sen – Cricket Analyst (Senior Correspondent) / May 19th, 2014

Kolkata Knight Riders’ Robin Uthappa starred as Mumbai Indians’ hopes of defending their Indian Premier League title received another blow.

With only four matches remaining, Mumbai languish second from bottom in the table, four points adrift of the top-four spot that would see them qualify for the play-offs and a chance to retain the crown they won 12 months ago.

Occupying that fourth spot are their opponents on Wednesday, who were grateful to a sublime 80 from opening batsman Uthappa as they eased to a victory target of 142 with six wickets and eight balls to spare.

After winning the toss in Cuttack, Kolkata skipper Gautam Gambhir opted to field and he was rewarded early on when Chidhambaram Gautam was caught at cover off the bowling of Morne Morkel (2-35) for eight in the third over.

Lendl Simmons (12) followed soon afterwards, bowled after aiming an ugly swipe at Shakib Al Hasan.

The Bangladeshi went on to record figures of 1-21 from his four overs as he and spin partner Sunil Narine kept the Mumbai total in check.

Narine was even more economical, taking 1-18 from his four, including the prize scalp of Mumbai skipper Rohit Sharma.

Rohit, badly dropped at long on by Yusuf Pathan when on 11, played patiently for his 51 from 45 balls, before attempting an unorthodox paddle shot against the West Indian and seeing the ball crash into his stumps.

Uthappa and Gambhir got the reply off to a strong start, looking untroubled in reaching a stand of 50 before the skipper chopped a Harbhajan Singh delivery onto his stumps to depart for 14.

Harbhajan also accounted for Manish Pandey (14) in the same manner on his way to taking 2-22, but by then the hosts were looking in control at 96-2 with almost six overs remaining and Uthappa well-set on 64.

In the next over, the wicketkeeper-batsman took the game further away from Mumbai, driving Simmons for consecutive sixes over the off side, before the West Indian had the final say, cleaning up Uthappa as he looked for another expansive stroke.

It did little to disrupt Kolkata’s charge to victory, Pathan pulling Lasith Malinga (1-30) to the fence to finish 20 not out and seal a comfortable win for the Knight Riders, while Mumbai’s hopes of play-off qualification are looking increasingly in danger.

source: http://www.sportal.co.nz / Sportal / Home> Cricket / by Sportal / May 15th, 2014

Karnataka will be fielding a strong team, featuring the likes of quartermilers M R Poovamma and Ashwini Akkunji, in the National Inter-State athletics meetin Lucknow next month.

The team will also feature sprinter H M Jyothi, and high jumper Sahana Kumari.

The squad: Men: 100M: Sanjay V, Sonith Menden. 200M: Sajjin V, Sanjay V. 400M: Sachin JP, Sajjin V, Jayaprakash Shetty. 800M: Ranjan Kariappa. 1500M: Ranjan Kariappa, Girish Ramachandran. 110M hurdles: MK Sumanth, Srikanth Madyastha. 400M hurdles: Jagadish, Prashanth Kumar. High jump: Harshith S, Chetan B, Suprith Raj. Pole vault: P Balakrishna. Long jump: Arshad, Rositto Sax. Triple jump: Karthik. 4x400M relay: Sajjin, Sachin, Jayaprakash Shetty, Jagadish, Prashanth Kumar (reserve).

Women: 100M: Jyothi HM. 200M: Jyothi HM, Poovamma MR. 400M: Poovamma MR, Ashwini Akkunji, Vijayakumari. 800M: Sini A Markose, Mahalakshmi. 1500M: Sini A Markose. 100M hurdles: Meghana Shetty, Pragna Prakash. 400M hurdles: Arpitha. High jump: Sahana Kumari. Long jump: Aishwarya GM, Pragna Prakash. Triple jump: Joyline M Lobo. Heptathlon: Sahana Kumari, Varsha Shivashankar. 4x400M relay: Poovamma MR, Ashwini Akkunji, Vijayakumari, Arpitha, Sini A Markose. Coach: BP Aiyappa; Manager: Lakshmana M.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> Sports / DHNS – Bangalore, May 13th, 2014

Robin Uthappa talks to Taus Rizvi about changes in his batting and his efforts to make comeback into national side

With scores of 47, 65, 47 you are back among runs in IPL…
Great to be opening. Frankly speaking, I deliver the best when when I open. Day in and day out, I have been working on my batting and my technique. I feel a lot more confident, sure about my skills and ability. I know, I will be able perform my role as an opening batsman. That is what is most important. Once you set good a foundation, you can build on from there. I am confident about playing well. Happy to repose faith having got an opportunity to open the innings.

Clearly, you were unhappy batting in the middle-order…
I am an opener. Opening the batting is what I do and is my bread and butter. It is here where I am comfortable the most.

Was it difficult to adjust after playing in the middle-order?
I wouldn’t say it’s difficult but it’s a challenge of a different kind. I played in the middle-orderin the last two IPLs. It was quite new for me, but had to do it since the team had asked me to.

How is it opening the innings with Gautam Gambhir in Kolkata Knight Riders?
Gauti and I go way back opening for India. We were competing for the same same spot with Sachin, Ganguly, Sehwag. We share a healthy relationship. I enjoy opening with a lefty as it unsettles the bowlers and gives opportunity to score. The left-right combination is always good.

You have changed your style of batting. Earlier, you would deal only in sixes and boundaries and now you have adopted a cautious approach. What prompted the change.
I am still aggressive but I don’t need to go hammer tongs when I can played good cricketing shots and still score runs. I think in the last couple of years, I have cleaned up my technique and learnt to respect the ball, bowlers and the wickets on merit. Play true to the merit and that is when you get the best chance to score. I am aware about the fields, what the bowlers are bowling. I keep it simple now and there is no need to panic. I do what I need to do for the team and that’s the approach which you can say is a lot more calmer.

You have a different stance now. What other technical changes have you made to your batting?
I have changed quite a lot actually. About the stance — two or three different set ups in technique for (different) bowling and pitches. I have been taking some time. That is one of the reason I am feeling confident and sure of the all work and the hours I have put in. I feel strongly about my skills — batting, shot selection and mindset. Have gone into a lot of details — changed my feet position, initial movements depending on the bounce on the wicket.

You have been working with Pravin Amre. What has been his role in the new ‘Robin Uthappa’?
Choosing to work with Amre sir was my best decision. He is someone who practically helped me change my game, from where it used to be to where it is now. I am very grateful to him. He has worked hard with me and has been patient. I know him since my days with the junior Indian team. There is a certain comfort level which I don’t share with anyone else. As his pupil, I have complete faith and trust in him. He gave me things on the platter and asked me to pick whatever I like the most, which is what I have done.

You are 28 and have been wanting to make a comeback to the Indian team. How far is that destination?
Frankly, I think with the talent I used to have, I played maximum to the potential. But now, I have cleaned up my technique. Today, I feel it is the start of my journey and there is no specific destination. The destination will be when I am done (with cricket) but I am far from done as I am in the best shape of my life, being skillfull, I have to continue working hard. Right now, I am happy enjoying my game putting in hard work. There are no ulterior reasons for playing cricket but I am enjoying and loving it more.

source: http://www.dnaindia.com/ DNA / Home> Sport / Place:Mumbai, Agency:DNA / Sunday – May 11th, 2014