A prolific season culminating in an unforgettable IPL outing has helped Robin Uthappa join the Men in Blue

A blistering bat and an inner scrutiny, have constantly defined Robin Uthappa. The wide range of his shots has often matched the depth of his introspective bouts and after every such encounter with the ‘man in the mirror’; Uthappa has emerged stronger as an individual and hungrier as a batsman.

In a roller-coaster life that has belied its 28 summers, Uthappa is now riding a wave. The Karnataka opener’s excellent show with the champion – Kolkata Knight Riders – in this season’s IPL, helped him wrest the ‘Orange Cap’ for being the highest run-getter (660). The rewards were instantaneous as even before KKR took on the Kings XI Punjab in the final, Uthappa was already picked for the Indian squad that will play three ODIs in Bangladesh, this month. An elated Uthappa said: “I always knew I had the ability and game to make the comeback. I worked hard towards refining my game, plugged the gaps in my technique. There is a sense of determination and a sense of belief now.”

Uthappa, who first played for India in 2006, has been an intermittent presence with the national team. A truth reflected in a mere 38 ODIs and 11 Twenty20 internationals played over an eight year period that had long absences away from M.S. Dhoni’s team. The latest return though is a tribute to his constant endeavour to improve both as a player and as a person while also drawing enormous strength from his inner circle of pals in which girlfriend and former tennis player Sheethl Gautham, played a prominent role.

Just like his latest evolutionary phase shaped by having a personal batting coach in former India player Pravin Amre, Uthappa has forever questioned himself and refused to back down even when some of the answers were not flattering. As a school kid, slightly on the heavier side, Uthappa donned the wicket-keeping gloves besides having a biff with the bat while representing St. Josephs. Adolescence and acne also ushered in hard queries about his self-image and the Coorgi lad cut shot on his traditional cuisine that hinged a lot on pork.

He lost weight, sharpened his shots and it was just a matter of time before he noticed by former India captain Dilip Vengsarkar, who was then heading the BCCI’s talent resource development wing. Uthappa was fast-tracked into the Indian limited overs’ squad and he did make an early impression.

Uthappa was part of the Indian team that won the inaugural ICC World Twenty20 at South Africa in 2007. Somehow the start was frittered away while Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir reiterated their credentials atop the batting order. But there was more to it than meets the eye as parental discord back home, scalded Uthappa.

He continued to do well for Karnataka, even briefly donned the skipper’s mantle, a designation he sought for himself.

“I walked up to Brijesh (Patel, KSCA secretary) and said that I wanted to lead the side,” Uthappa once said. And while personal issues bogged him down, he found refuge in his belief in Jesus Christ.

Later, he again grappled with the stigma of being over-weight.

He consulted Sheethl, roped in a dietician, monitored what he ate, worked out, cut the flab, got Amre as his personal coach and just focussed on excelling for whichever team he played for, be it Karnataka or KKR. He also found a balance between his innate aggression and the extreme caution that Amre drilled into him as part of a bid to stay long at the crease.

Karnataka’s winning streak in domestic cricket that helped nail the Ranji Trophy, Zal Irani Cup and Deodhar Trophy, also offered more opportunities for Uthappa to catch the selectors’ eye. The runs with KKR further vindicated what Sandeep Patil and company felt about the opener. The ticket to Dhaka, seems another start for Uthappa and from the looks of it, he wants to hold onto it with his dear life.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus / by K.C. Vijaya Kumar / Bangalore – June 08th, 2014

Arpinder Singh mocked the hot and humid conditions as he improved the National record in men’s triple jump with an effort of 17.17 metres on the final day of the 54th National inter-State athletics championship at the PAC Stadium here on Sunday.

The 23-year-old ONGC employee shocked the previous holder Renjith Maheshwary, who set it in 2010, by ten centimetres and added insult to injury by beating him to the gold by 63 centimetres.

Interestingly, Arpinder improved on his personal best of 16.84 metres, with one of his two valid jumps as he had no mark on four of his jumps. In the process, he also went past the Commonwealth Games qualification mark of 16.83 metres with ease. His first good jump on the third attempt measured 16.49 metres.

M.R. Poovamma outclassed a strong field that included Olympian Tintu Luka, in the women’s 400m with a new meet mark of 51.73 seconds that beat Mandeep Kaur’s 51.74 set in 2008.

It was easy to announce Arpinder Singh (1174 points) of Punjab and Poovamma (1141) of Karnataka as the best male and female athletes respectively. The men’s, women’s and overall team honours were bagged by Kerala ahead of Tamil Nadu.

The results: Men: 100m: 1. Krishnakumar Rane 10.32 (NMR, old 10.36); 2. Manikanta Raj 10.52; 3. Anirudh Gujar 10.63. 400m: 1.Arokia Rajiv 46.13; 2. Kunhu Muhammed 46.17; 3. Sachin Roby 46.79. 1,500m: 1. Sajeesh Joseph 3:48.16; 2. Anil Kumar 3:50.41; 3. Chandrakant Manwadkar 3:50.89. 10,000m: 1. Suresh Kumar Patel 30:00.03; 2. Rahul Kumar Pal 30:36.69; 3. Kheta Ram 30:50.95. 110m hurdles: 1. Siddhant Thingalaya 13.84; 2. Surendhar 13.97; 3. Prem Kumar 14.06. Triple jump: 1. Arpinder Singh 17.17 (NR, old 17.07); 2. Renjith Maheshwary 16.54; 3. Karthik 15.91. Hammer throw: 1. Charodaya Narain Singh 69.38 (NMR, old 68.98); 2. Kaushal Singh 65.31; 3. Neeraj Kumar 63.74. 4x400m relay: 1. Kerala 3:10.64; 2. Karnataka 3:11.39; 3. Tamil Nadu 3:16.82.

Women: 100m: 1. Saradha Narayanan 11.39 (NMR, old 11.48); 2. H.M. Jyothi 11.49; 3. Srabani Nanda 11.59. 400m: 1. M.R. Poovamma 51.73; 2. Tintu Luka 53.22; 3. Debashree Majumdar 53.54. 1,500m: 1. O.P. Jaisha 4:16.27; 2. Sini Markose 4:18.94; 3. Jhuma Khatoon 4:20.53. 10,000m: 1. Preeja Sridharan 34:34.98; 2. Suriya 35:26.75; 3. Monika Athare 38:19.93. 100m hurdles: 1. K.V. Sajitha 14.16; 2. Gayathri 14.21; 3. Hemashree 14.51. Discus: 1. Pramila 46.99; 2. Vasumathy 42.12; 3. Ankita Julka 41.03. Hammer throw: 1. Manju Bala 62.74 (NR, old 62.67); 2. Gunjan Singh 61.19; 3. Ritu Dhiman 59.96. Heptathlon: 1. Liksy Joseph 5386; 2. Niksy Joseph 5154; 3. Purnima Hembram 4932. 4x400m relay: 1. Kerala 3:38.40; 2. West Bengal 3:50.84; 3. Uttar Pradesh 3:57.82. 20km walk: 1. Rani Yadav 1:46:49.00; 2. Shanty Kumari 1:58:16.00; 3. Rajani 2:01:29.00.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Sport> Other Sports / by Kamesh Srinivasan / Lucknow – June 08th, 2014

SUMMARY
It was a challenging year for the IPL. From a cricketing point of view, it grew, writes Harsha Bhogle

I am overjoyed by the resurgence of Robin Uthappa; not as much for the talent he possesses but for what he has overcome, for the decisions he took in life and the effort he was willing to commit to his decision. Most times most people know what to do; if they don’t, an informed opinion isn’t too far away. But it is the commitment to doing what it takes that is worthy of admiration. With Uthappa the runs were merely a by-product, a consequence of training and working hard when the result was far away and unknown. That is what produces applause and brings a smile.

I like the new-look Uthappa because his batting is tighter, more stylish than it was (and he was always stylish) and in an almost contrarian way, he has found freedom through going back to technique. By becoming tighter, by playing closer to his body I suspect he is playing shots that give him greater value and greater longevity. With Uthappa, it was never a question of class or timing, it was about being in long enough to cause lasting damage. He has chiseled his game and is looking so much better for it.

But now, the challenges begin. Can he continue to play within the new boundaries he has set for himself? Or will he rebel against his own discipline and seek newer territories for his boundless talent? Just as investors follow certain scrips, cricket watchers must follow Uthappa to see where he goes. I wish him well, he is a fine young man who has endured, and frittered away, much. He has now found peace and stability; those are boundaries for some, pathways for others.

If Uthappa’s was the dramatic resurgence at the IPL, it was a new look Wriddhiman Saha who caught everyone’s eye. You knew Saha was smooth and classy behind the stumps, that in front of them he was more than just capable, also that he was a brilliant fielder when the gloves were worn by someone else. But could he hit the ball with such intensity? Very few, dare I say nobody, could say they saw this coming. We never know, do we, who really resides within a person!

This is excellent news for Indian cricket. And it can be even better if Saha catalyses an Uthappa like resurgence in Dinesh Karthik. I suspect that a year from now, MS Dhoni would be looking at his career through a more critical lens and India will benefit from having a healthy competition between Saha and Karthik for the latter is a possessor of rare gifts too.

And what of Manish Pandey? He has promised much, often scoring big when the occasion was big enough, earning

source: http://www.indianexpress.com / The Indian Express / Home> Cricket> Indian Premier League / by Harsha Bhogle / June 04th, 2014

Robin Uthappa‘s dream run with the bat was rewarded in the 17th CEAT awards gala, where the stylish right-handed batsman walked home with the award for the CEAT Domestic Cricketer of the Year. On the recent IPL victory, he says “it wouldn’t have been sweet if we had not won.”

On the back of a stellar Ranji Trophy campaign for Karnataka, where he averaged a humongous 89 and led his state to a unique hat-trick of domestic titles i.e Ranji Trophy, Deodar Trophy and the Irani Cup. Uthappa was the lynchpin of his side with excellent displays at the top of the order.

Uthappa’s stupendous run did not stop there and helped his Indian Premier League (IPL), where he looked impregnable and took home the top run-getter’s Orange Cap. He had a jaw-dropping nine consecutive 40+ scores to lead his franchise, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to their second IPL triumph. Uthappa’s consistent displays with the bat have earned him an India call-up for their upcoming One-Day International (ODI) tour of Bangladesh.

source: http://www.cricketcountry.com / The Cricket Country / Home> News / by Cricket Country Staff / June 02nd, 2014

KKR opener is elated to have capped off a successful domestic season with the IPL trophy

Robin Uthappa has defied the law of averages. In a format that is more fickle than English weather, he strung 10 scores of 40-plus on the bounce, in Pepsi IPL 2014. The Kolkata Knight Riders opener was the single most important reason behind the team’s unbelievable jump from the near bottom of the table in the first phase of the tournament to them surging to the IPL crown.

With his 660 runs in the tournament at an average of 44 and a strike-rate of 137.78, Uthappa overtook the likes of Glenn Maxwell and Dwayne Smith to go home with the Orange Cap. After KKR’s thrilling three-wicket win in the final against KXIP, an elated and excited Uthappa narrated his joy in an interview with IPLT20.com.

Here are excerpts from his interview:

A perfect end to the fairytale?

Oh, absolutely! This is absolutely stunning! The whole feeling is just so surreal. For me, personally, this is the fourth cup in a year and so, wow! It doesn’t get better than this, does it? This has been such an amazing ride. We didn’t start off well, but there was always the belief that we can get our campaign back on track if we just take it one game at a time, and that is exactly what we did. Even today, we knew that on this ground we can chase down any score. We only had to keep up with the run-rate and keep ourselves in the game. Literally, everybody chipped in.

Where would you rate this in your career achievements?

I have set some goals for myself – a to-do list. But this year has been something else. The Ranji Trophy, the Vijay Hazare Trophy, the Irani Trophy and now the IPL, all in one year! I never thought I’ll be able to do that. It’s amazing. This is a tick in another box.

10 consecutive 40-plus scores in the T20 format – it’s unreal!

I was very keen on making a meaningful contribution to the team’s cause and I am really happy to be able to do that, and many times, also carrying the team through from difficult situations. To keep pulling off the scores after the sixth or seventh one there was a bit of pressure. I kept reminding myself to forget about the past scores, just stay in the present, and play the ball on its merit. It all fell into place, and here we are!

Going back at the top of the order must have felt like homecoming.

Well, opening the batting is my bread and butter; that’s what I do for a living. It was great that the management showed faith in me and I am glad I lived up to their expectations. I am glad I lived up to my own expectations.

Good to have some runs from the captain as well and batting with him?

Absolutely! Gauti and I have always batted well opening the batting together. We’ve done that for India and have also played a lot of domestic cricket together, for India A. The understanding and the camaraderie between us is really good. We really egg each other on while batting, which is the most important thing when two batsmen are setting up a foundation for the team. Also, it’s very good to bat with a left-hander as that combination will always make things difficult for the opposition.

source: http://www.iplt20.com / Indian Premier League / Home> News> Features & Interviews / by Shirin Sadikot in Belgaum / June 02nd, 2014

Suresh Raina will captain the side in the absence of Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Virat Kohli

Robin Uthappa was recalled to the Indian team on Wednesday (May 28) for the three-match One-Day International series in Bangladesh, beginning in Mirpur on June 15.

In the absence of Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Virat Kohli, both of who have been rested keeping in mind the hectic season ahead, Suresh Raina has been named captain of the side.

The 15-man squad wears a vastly different look from the one that visited the same part of the world for the Asia Cup in February-March. Raina, who was dropped for that tournament, and Uthappa lead those making their comebacks.

Uthappa made a case for himself with ten straight 40-plus scores in IPL 7 for Kolkata Knight Riders, on the back of a stellar domestic season.

Others that have made it in to the side are Manoj Tiwary, Kedar Jadhav, Akshar Patel, Parveez Rasool, Wriddhiman Saha, R Vinay Kumar and Mohit Sharma, all of who have been impressive at various stages of the 2014 season of the IPL.

Rested from the Asia Cup squad, apart from Dhoni and Kohli are Shikhar Dhawan, Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Varun Aaron and Ishwar Pandey.

Squad for ODI series in Bangladesh: Suresh Raina (capt), Robin Uthappa, Ajinkya Rahane, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ambati Rayudu, Manoj Tiwary, Kedar Jadhav, Wriddhiman Saha, Parveez Rasool, Akshar Patel, R Vinay Kumar, Umesh Yadav, Stuart Binny, Mohit Sharma, Amit Mishra.

source: http://www.icc-cricket.com / International Cricket Council / Home> News / May 28th, 2014

New Delhi :

The Badminton Association of India (BAI) on Tuesday announced a cash reward of Rs. 40 lakh for the women’s team that created history by winning the maiden bronze medal in the just concluded Uber Cup.

It was the first podium finish by India in the prestigious biennial event by qualifying for the semifinals where they lost to silver medallists Japan. China defended their title successfully by clinching the gold Saturday.

“The women’s team has made us proud with the way they played last week. The BAI is providing the best facilities to the players to perform on the international stage and the cash prize is just a part of our commitment towards the players,” BAI president Akhilesh Das Gupta said.

The chief architects of India’s performance — captain Saina Nehwal, PV Sindhu, Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa — will receive cash rewards of Rs.5 lakh each while the remaining amount will be distributed among the other players and staff members.

The BAI also announced a separate Rs.10 lakh reward for chief coach Pullela Gopichand for being honoured with the Padma Bhushan earlier in the year by the Indian government.

Meanwhile, Das Gupta also rubbished reports about the possible appointment of Danish legend Morten Frost as the coach of the Indian team adding that he had full faith in former All-England champion Gopichand.

“Gopichand has been doing a fantastic job as head coach and we have full faith in his abilities to take India ahead on the international scene. The BAI is only looking for a specialised doubles coach which has been a weak link for the country in team events,” said the president.

“However, we haven’t zeroed down on any specific names for the same. Whosoever is appointed, will be working directly under head coach Gopichand.”

source:http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> Sports> Badminton / IANS / May 27th, 2014