Former Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) batsman Robin Uthappa, who will be playing for Rajasthan Royals this year, is excited to play alongside Steve Smith once again. Incidentally, Uthappa and Smith played for the now-defunct Pune Warriors India between 2011-2013.
Meanwhile, Uthappa has a point to prove after Kolkata released him ahead of the auctions. He also heaped praise on the former Australian skipper, who has gone onto becoming one of the greatest batsmen in the planet.
Excited to play alongside Smith – Uthappa
“I have played with Steve [Smith] back in Pune Warriors India from 2011 to 13. But having seen the growth that he has made from that time, I am truly looking forward to interacting with him and learning from him in the time that we will be playing together this year “, Uthappa said in an exclusive interaction with bcci.tv.
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He also wants to use this season an opportunity to make a comeback in the Indian side. He is looking at making a sizeable contribution with the bat for the Royals, in a bid to make a claim for his India return.
“I certainly believe that if we have a great season in the IPL, wonderful things could happen to me and even bring me back into the reckoning for the Indian team,” Uthappa said.
IPL a Great Escape for Fans: Uthappa
The Karnataka batsman also feels that this IPL season will be a great escape for cricket fans amid the current tough times. Cricketing action has been disrupted due to the prevalence of COVID-19 pandemic all over the world. The IPL which was originally scheduled to happen as per its normal schedule also was postponed as the COVID-19 situation in India did not permit the tournament to be held in India.
Finally, with ICC postponing the Men’s T20 World Cup to 2021, the BCCI used the available window to host the IPL in the UAE.
“I think it is in this unpredictable times, and with no end in sight so to speak, that we are all craving for a semblance of normalcy, and this tournament can bring that back to our lives” Uthappa concluded saying.
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Rajasthan Royals open their IPL 2020 campaign against Chennai Super Kings on September 22 in Sharjah.
