All posts tagged: Uthappa

Robin Uthappa on Vaibhav Sooryavanshi: ‘He is riding his luck a little bit…’ | Cricket News

Robin Uthappa on Vaibhav Sooryavanshi: ‘He is riding his luck a little bit…’ | Cricket News

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3 min readMar 14, 2026 09:02 PM IST Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s achievements in the cricketing fraternity need no introduction. The teenager has already slammed an IPL century and also a ton in the U-19 World Cup final help India win the title. However, former Indian cricketer Robin Uthappa has thrown caution to the wind for the youngster and said he feels Sooryavanshi is riding his luck a bit and might face a few issues when the standard gets higher. “I have been keenly observing every game Vaibhav is playing over the last 12 months,” Uthappa said on Star Sports. “He is phenomenal. But if you are going to watch him bat, I feel he is riding his luck a little bit. And when the standard gets a little bit higher, little tougher, and people now know where to bowl to him. The novelty has worn off. I think that right now, he is riding that luck a little bit, which is fine. I think this season will be educational for him and will serve him in …

When Shoaib Malik made MS Dhoni wait for a photoshoot; and why Sehwag and Uthappa were chosen for a tie-breaking bowl-out | Cricket News

When Shoaib Malik made MS Dhoni wait for a photoshoot; and why Sehwag and Uthappa were chosen for a tie-breaking bowl-out | Cricket News

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4 min readFeb 15, 2026 11:48 AM IST Relations between India and Pakistan were not as strained as it is today, social media warfare didn’t exist, fans from either side were largely cordial (though they remain incident-free in the stands even now). In those mellower times, players shook hands and exchanged pleasantries. Imagine the outrage today if a Pakistan captain made his Indian counterpart wait. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW VIDEO MS Dhoni, new to his job as India captain, strode to the Nelson Mandela Square in Sandton, Johannesburg, his silky locks still the rage. He was making his way for the official photoshoot the day before the 2007 World Twenty20 final against Shoaib Malik-captained Pakistan. Photographers were ready, the gleaming trophy for the inaugural World Twenty20 – the name of the tournament before it was rechristened in 2018 – was placed in position by officials and one captain had reached the square on time. Malik was nowhere to be seen. Murmurs began: Was Malik doing a Ganguly on Dhoni? Minutes ticked by, but it seemed like …

Robin Uthappa on Ruturaj Gaikwad: ‘In Indian cricket, it is important to strike when the iron is hot’ | Cricket News

Robin Uthappa on Ruturaj Gaikwad: ‘In Indian cricket, it is important to strike when the iron is hot’ | Cricket News

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Ruturaj Gaikwad scored a sublime ton in the second ODI against South Africa in Raipur. His rotation of strike through the middle overs, picking and choosing when to attack, was quite sound. However, the 28-year-old has not been picked up in the squad for the upcoming ODI series against New Zealand. Former Indian cricketer Robin Uthappa noted that Gaikwad tends to lose his form at times. “I have noticed one thing with Ruturaj. At the right time, he loses his form a bit. In Indian cricket, it is important to strike when the iron is hot. His time came two to three times and his form got slightly off. So for the form to stay, to get the opportunities at the right time, it has to sit properly,” he said on his YouTube channel. Ashwin on Gaikwad Former Indian cricketer R Ashwin opined that India could have picked Ruturaj Gaikwad over Rishabh Pant. “Could Gaikwad have been kept in the squad? I think that was a real possibility. The only spot of contention is between …

‘I prefer Arshdeep over Harshit in any circumstances’: Robin Uthappa | Cricket News

‘I prefer Arshdeep over Harshit in any circumstances’: Robin Uthappa | Cricket News

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Former Indian cricketer Robin Uthappa said the Indian team should be picking Arshdeep Singh over Harshit Rana. Although Uthappa did acknowledge that Rana can offer batting lower down the order, he would note that having Axar Patel in the side can fill that void by enabling the side to have six bowling options and eight batting options. “I like Harshit as a bowler; he’s immensely talented, but I prefer Arshdeep over Harshit in any circumstances. As batter, if Harshit can hit three sixes in ten balls, I think Arshdeep can hit two at this point. What he brings to the table is far more valuable than Harshit at this point,” Uthappa said on his YouTube channel. “In my view, Axar is a very underrated bowler. Yes, Kuldeep is amazing, and if the conditions allow three spinners, then unfortunately, Arshdeep has to miss out, which I don’t like. I think Arshdeep, irrespective of any wicket, should play. Which means unfortunately, Kuldeep has to be out because Varun is the No.1 T20I bowler in the world,” he …

Robin Uthappa on Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s red ball retirement: ‘I don’t know if it was a forced surrender, but it definitely didn’t seem like a natural exit’ | Cricket News

Robin Uthappa on Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s red ball retirement: ‘I don’t know if it was a forced surrender, but it definitely didn’t seem like a natural exit’ | Cricket News

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Both Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma announced their retirements in quick succession. The form of both players was dipping in the red-ball format. Former Indian cricketer Robin Uthappa has speculated whether both of those retirements were unnatural. “I don’t know if it was a forced surrender, but it definitely didn’t seem like a natural exit. What the truth is, they themselves will have to share in their own time. But I don’t think it was natural,” Uthappa said on his YouTube channel. “When Rohit was not scoring runs in Australia, I felt that he should take a break for six months and work on his fitness. I had no doubt in my mind that he would score runs,” he added. However, both players decided to continue in the ODI format and have delivered some crucial knocks during the course of the Australia tour and recent home ODI series against South Africa. “In both Virat and Rohit, you can see that hunger back in their eyes, which is really cool. It’s endearing to see it from …

Robin Uthappa on dropping Shubman Gill and Jitesh Sharma from 2026 T20 World Cup squad: ‘Indian cricket is a strange place’ | Cricket News

Robin Uthappa on dropping Shubman Gill and Jitesh Sharma from 2026 T20 World Cup squad: ‘Indian cricket is a strange place’ | Cricket News

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Omission of Shubman Gill and Jitesh Sharma from the 2026 World Cup squad did come as a surprise. While the form of Gill has been on a downward curve in the T20Is, the axing of Jitesh can be attributed to the team combination picked. Former Indian cricketer Robin Uthappa said that Indian cricket is a strange place and said one has to feel bad for Gill. “Indian cricket is a strange place. You would think there would be some semblance of predictability. It’s a great side, a fantastic side, no doubt. But hearts are broken for sure. I empathise with them. You’ve got to feel bad for Shubman Gill. He’s the captain of the Test and ODI side. Worst case scenario, I thought somebody else might be named the vice captain, but he’ll find a spot in the side, maybe not in the 11, but he’ll find a spot in the side as a third opener.” Speaking about Jitesh Sharma, Gill said, “Jitesh did nothing wrong. He has done exceptionally well. Having said that, the …

‘Managing his workload is crucial’: Robin Uthappa on ‘match-winner’ Jasprit Bumrah | Cricket News

‘Managing his workload is crucial’: Robin Uthappa on ‘match-winner’ Jasprit Bumrah | Cricket News

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Former India players Robin Uthappa said that due to ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah’s demanding action and high pacer, it was necessary to manage the the 32-yaer-old’s workload. Bumrah was rested in the ODI series against South Africa after playing the 2-match Test series and returned to play the T20Is. He had also played the T20I series against Australia a couple of months ago while also sitting out the ODI series. “He is an absolute match-winner, and managing his workload is crucial. Fast bowling is probably the toughest skill in the sport, and Bumrah does it at high pace with a demanding action. You want to protect that, but at the same time, you want him to play enough cricket. We’ve seen glimpses of his brilliance, and hopefully he can build consistency over the next few games heading into the World Cup,” Uthappa said on JioStar’s ‘Cricket Live’. Bumrah played a leading role in the 1st T20I against South Africa, taking 2 wickets, helping India to a massive 101-run win. He would struggle in the 2nd …

‘We should grab them and ask for clarity’: Dale Steyn, Robin Uthappa question match officials over 6 fog inspections in Lucknow T20I | Cricket News

‘We should grab them and ask for clarity’: Dale Steyn, Robin Uthappa question match officials over 6 fog inspections in Lucknow T20I | Cricket News

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Former India batter Robin Uthappa slammed match officials after nearly three hours of delay and several inspections due to excessive fog in the Lucknow T20I between India and South Africa on Wednesday before the match was inevitably called off due to the hazardous evening conditions. After the toss was deferred from 6:30 pm due to low visibility, the umpires periodically carried out six inspections at every 30-minute intervals to assess te=he conditions before the final check at 9:30 pm confirmed the abandoned game, a first due to excessive fog for an international game in India. Uthappa, on commentary duties, was plainly vocal about the decision from the umpires to delay the toss as it was quite evident that the thick haze cover was unlikely to get any better for the players to spot the white ball under the beaming flood lights. ALSO READ | Fourth T20I abandoned due to excessive fog, poor visibility in Lucknow “I’m actually not even listening to you because I’m so befuddled by the umpire’s decision right now. How do they …

Robin Uthappa on Dhoni at CSK: ‘Genuinely feels like right time for him to step away’ | Cricket News

Robin Uthappa on Dhoni at CSK: ‘Genuinely feels like right time for him to step away’ | Cricket News

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Former India cricketer Robin Uthappa has said that given the squad Chennai Super Kings’ (CSK) have on their hands after the IPL 2026 auction, this feels “like the right time” for franchise cornerstone Mahendra Singh Dhoni to step away from the side. “I don’t think his (Dhoni’s) role changes dramatically because this transition has been ongoing for a while. Ever since the captaincy returned to him from Ravindra Jadeja, you could see that he’s been gradually shifting responsibility year after year. Each season, more responsibility has moved towards Ruturaj Gaikwad. When you look at this squad now, it genuinely feels like the right time for Dhoni to step away, because many of these players were literally kids when he first started playing the IPL. From here, CSK will need to identify a core from within this group and build forward,” Uthappa said on JioHotstar’s TATA IPL Auction Review show. CSK’s Mahendra Singh Dhoni speaks to his Chennai Super Kings teammates in a huddle. (FILE photo) ALSO READ | Why CSK spent heavily on youth and …

Why Abhishek Sharma reminds Robin Uthappa of Sanath Jayasuriya | Cricket News

Why Abhishek Sharma reminds Robin Uthappa of Sanath Jayasuriya | Cricket News

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Abhishek Sharma top scored for India in the third T20I in Dharamsala with a 35 off 18 balls which helped the Indian team chase down South Africa’s total of 117 in 16 overs. After his fiery start, he earned some praise from former cricketers with Robin Uthappa in particular comparing him to legendary Sri Lankan opener Sanath Jayasuriya. “Even before the India-South Africa series, Sharma was playing the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and was just gunning teams down. So you knew he was in good form. It’s about spending some time out there, and I think that first ball from Lungi Ngidi really set things up for him. From there, there was no looking back. He understood that they were trying to stifle him with tight lengths on middle and leg stump, but if they erred even slightly, he was there to punish them,” Uthappa said on JioStar. Sharma has been India’s destroyer-in-chief in the T20 format at the top of the order with a license to smash the ball from the first delivery. It …