15 Interesting Cricket Facts about Robin Uthappa :- Robin Uthappa has been one of the most consistent performers in the last decade and a half. The classy Karnataka cricketer has certainly exhibited his potential to take up the international challenge and has been making the headlines for his performances in professional cricket since long.
This stylish right-handed batsman who has a wide range of shots starting from the reverse sweeps to inside out to glam shots has been on the limelight since early seasons of the IPL. He duly believes in the motto ‘In it to win it`. Those sniping pulls and walking down to hammer a six are treat to watch.
Let’s take a look at some of the interesting cricket facts about Robin Uthappa:
1. Orange Cap and IPL trophy simultaneously
Robin Uthappa is the only player in the world to grab the orange cap and the IPL trophy simultaneously in the same season. He did it in IPL 2014.
2. Nickname
Robin Uthappa is nicknamed ‘The Walking Assassin’ for his tactic of walking down the wicket and smashing the ball.
3. Dream start
Robin Uthappa received his One Day International cap in April 2006 against England in Guwahati. But the match was washed out without a ball being bowled. In the next match, batting for the first time in internationals, he scored 86, opening the batting for India but eventually was run out to be walking back to pavilion disappointedly. This was the highest score by an Indian debutant in ODIs until KL Rahul broke it in 2016 against Zimbabwe.
4. First Indian to score a fifty in T20I
Robin Uthappa scored a match winning half century against arch-rivals Pakistan in the T20 World Cup 2007 in South Africa after India were struggling at 39/4. With this, he became the first Indian to score a fifty in a T20 International match. This was also Robin’s maiden T20I match where he batted.
5. Amazing Record as a WK-Batsman
Robin Uthappa is the only Wk-batsman in IPL to register 350+ runs in seven IPL seasons.
6. Unbelievable chase
Robin Uthappa scripted a dramatic chase of 317 at the Kennington Oval, London in 2007. He scored 47 off 33 balls coming at No.7. This was his maiden match of the tour after having to sit out of the first five ODIs. This show was a perfect example of the ‘Walking Assassin’.
7. Consistency
Robin Uthappa holds the record for most consecutive 40 or more scores in 10 games consecutively in IPL. He broke Matthew Hayden’s record of most 40+ scores in a single season by scoring so 11 times in IPL 2014. Eventually ended up scoring 660 runs in the season.
8. Awesome Ranji season
Robin Uthappa finished the 2014-15 Ranji Trophy season as the highest run-getter (912 runs in 19 innings with an average of 50.66). He has scored 8793 runs at an average of 41.28, with 21 centuries and 48 half centuries in 130 first-class cricket matches.
9. Valuable player
Robin Uthappa became the 4th costliest buy in the history of IPL. Bought by Pune Warriors India for USD 2.1 million at the 2011 IPL auctions (2nd costliest player of the season).
10. IPL teams
In all he played for four Indian Premier League teams – Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Pune Warriors India and Kolkata Knight Riders.
11. Batting Coach
Robin Uthappa hired former India batsman Pravin Amre as his personal batting coach after getting rejected by the national selectors in 2012. Amre travels across the country when Robin plays domestic cricket and tracks his faults and progress.
12. IPL runs
Robin Uthappa is currently the sixth highest run scorer in IPL of all time with 3778 runs.
13. Early career and teammates
Robin Uthappa was a member of the India under-19 team that played the 2004 ICC Under-19 World Cup. Some of his teammates were Ambati Rayudu (captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Suresh Raina, RP Singh and Dinesh Karthik.
14. Heap of trophies
In 2013-14 season, Robin Uthappa did win lots of trophies and tournaments. With Karnataka, he won the Vijay Hazare Trophy, the Ranji Trophy and the Irani Trophy. Then followed the big one as his contributions to the victorious Kolkota Knight Riders in IPL 2014 were priceless.
15. Behind the stumps
Robin Uthappa is only the second wicket-keeper to effect 3 stumpings in the same IPL match. He did it in IPL 2017. MS Dhoni has done it twice before.
