He has come in for criticism often for his performance on the field, but that didn’t dampen city lad Robin Uthappa’s spirit, who just went ahead and once again proved his mettle at this year’s IPL season.

Sporting a new leaner and fitter look, the cricketer is back in action, determined to get into the Indian national team again. In a candid chat with BT, Robin tells us about his new look, his love for cooking, changed temperament and more.

Why did you go MIA for a while?

I went off the grid for a while because I wanted to work on a few aspects – fitness, technique and temperament. I wanted to figure out the areas I could improve on in terms of my game. I was always physically strong, but was slow on the field, so I worked on losing weight. I made some lifestyle changes and lost 20 kilos.

What kind of lifestyle changes did you make?

I took a nutritionist’s advice and changed my diet, modified my water intake, and took multivitamins. I followed a strict discipline on what I ate, how long I rested and so on. I am a foodie. I enjoy my food and even have a sweet tooth. But now I have everything in moderation.

You were reportedly paying 15,000 a session for your training in Mumbai…

Cricket is my bread and butter. Very few people get the chance to pursue their passion as their livelihood. For me, it was an investment which made every session and hour count. It also motivated me to train harder. With this training, I have just gotten better. I am still young and have got a lot of cricket to offer.

Did you become spiritual during your time away?

I’ve been religious in the past. But now I think I have become less of that and grown as a person. It is important to choose how you want to live your life and be honest with yourself. It was a little difficult to keep in touch with people at that time since I was off all social networking sites. I enjoyed the solitude as I got to concentrate on bettering my game. I also travelled a lot during that time by myself.

You ran a business in Bangalore with Sreesanth. What was your reaction to the controversy he was involved with? Are you still in touch with him?

The news of the controversy was, no doubt, shocking. But I haven’t been in touch with Sreesanth in a long time. In fact, I’ve not spoken to him since 2010, when we shut down the inn that we ran in Bangalore.

Is entrepreneurship still a focus area?

No I don’t want to do anything as such right now. My focus is on cricket and I am concentrating on getting better by the day.

Are you seeing anyone now? What about marriages plans?

I am single and don’t have any marriage plans yet. In fact, I seldom get to see my family because I travel so much, so there is no question of getting married any time soon.

You said you are a foodie, do you cook as well?

I know how to cook and I enjoy baking. I bake some great brownies. Cooking is like a great stress buster.

Do you have any friends in the Indian cricket team?

Irfan Pathan is a good friend and so is Harbhajan Singh; he is a funny guy. I am also friends with Yusuf Pathan, Mahi (Mahendra Singh Dhoni) Virat Kohli, Vinay Kumar and Suresh Raina.

You played with Yuvraj Singh on the same team this IPL season. How was it to have him back in action?

To see him come back on the field was great. It takes a lot of character and courage to beat a sickness like cancer like that. I have a lot of respect for him and it was good to play for the same team.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> Sports> Interviews> Cricket / by Taniya Talukdar, TNN / July 14th, 2013