Bangalore :
After battling crippling cramps during the early part of the season, during which he missed six Ranji Trophy matches, opening batsman Robin Uthappa roared back to form during the national one-dayers for the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
Following the Ranji Trophy and Irani Cup triumphs, Robin Uthappa slammed a run-a-ball 104 against Kerala in the Subbaiah Pillai Trophy, the South Zone qualifiers for the national one-dayers. The opener was at his boisterous best during the national meet in Kolkata last week, slamming back-to-back tons (132 not out against Gujarat and 133 against Jharkhand) to help Karnataka complete a historic treble. Uthappa, who occasionally bowls mediumpace, returned with two wickets as Karnataka eked out a four-wicket win over Railways in the final at the Eden Gardens.
“It’s a special feeling to be able to win all the three domestic tournaments,” said Uthappa, who top scored the tournament with 536 runs at an average of 76.57. “We are a unique bunch of cricketers as each player cares for the team. And to be part of history is more than pleasing,” he added.
Uthappa is not letting himself get carried away following his success. Hours after winning the Vijay Hazare, Uthappa flew to his training base Mumabi to consult personal coach Praveen Amre as part of his preparation for the Deodhar Trophy, the zonal limited overs tournament which will kick off on March 23 at Vishakapatnam.
“We have good players in the South Zone team and stand a good chance of winning the Deodhar Trophy,” Uthappa pointed out.
In the run-up to the Vijay Hazare Trophy, Karnataka’s unbeaten run came to an end when the defending champions were defeated by Tamil Nadu in the South Zone title decider. However Robin said the team’s focus was on the national title. “There is no guilt feeling of losing against Tamil Nadu. But we knew Vijay Hazare Trophy was very important,” said Uthappa terming the season as one of his best. His best season was 2006-07 Ranji Trophy in which he was top scorer with 854 runs.
With a string of impressive performances, the stylish Bangalorean is now dreaming about another stint with the Indian team. “I believe I have performed well. I believe I should be playing the next level of cricket and I am confident that I will succeed at the highest level. Given a chance I will be able to add value to the team,” said Uthappa, who last played an ODI in 2008 against Sri Lanka in Karachi.
His last international appearance was in the rain-affected T20 game in South Africa in March 2012.
ROBIN’s SEASON HIGHLIGHTS
Vijay Hazare Trophy 8 vs Railways 133 vs Jharkhand 132 not out vs Gujarat Subbaiah Pillai Trophy 33 vs Tamil Nadu 27 vs Goa 104 vs Kerala 45 vsHyderabad 54 vs Andhra Ranji Trophy 86 vs Vidharba 33 vs Odisha 100 vs Uttar Pradesh 47 vs Punjab 72 & 36 vs Maharashtra.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> Sports> Cricket> Domestic Cricket> Vijay Hazare Trophy / Sunil Subbaiah, TNN / March 17th, 2014
