A batman called Robin

 

 

Your father is an international hockey referee. How were you drawn to cricket?

In my family everyone is interested in sports. So for me, being a sportsman was a rather obvious option. However, becoming a cricketer had a lot to do with the sport being followed the most in India and also the fact that I am a great fan of Sachin Tendulkar’s.

Any other sport you particularly liked and played?

Since I come from a sports-loving family, it runs in my blood. I also used to play a lot of tennis, hockey, badminton and quite a few other sports.

From what your childhood friends and teammates say, you were always obsessed with hitting the ball hard. Is that true? What is the secret behind those powerful hits?

I like being aggressive on the cricket field. I love to watch the ball soar to the boundary. Hence being a big hitter came absolutely naturally to me. There is no particular secret – just some blessing from God.

One of your under-15 team mates once told me that one of your traits was that whatever the state of the match, you never changed your (aggressive) game. What would you say to that?

Like I said, I’ve always been aggressive in nature. I was fascinated with sixes and fours. So... During the IPL, you’ve shared the dressing room with legendary rivals like Jayasuriya and Shaun Pollock. How was this new experience? I think one learns a lot from all these cricketers. It truly was an incredible experience. At this stage in the tournament (Mumbai Indians have not made it to the semis) which team do you think might win the inaugural DLF IPL championship?

All the teams (in the semifinals) are really good...in fact quite exceptional...so I don’t think I can safely bet on any of the teams.

One of your finest innings would surely be the one that guided India to that brilliant 300+ chase in England last year. What was going through your mind as the last over was being bowled?

I was quiet confident of winning the match. We had a great start and it was left to Mahi (MS Dhoni) and me to finish the game. As a senior pro, Mahi guided me a lot and his support helped. I was really quite cool in the last over.

Of the current Indian players, who do you like the most? What do you make of Mahi as a captain?

We are a team and I like all the players. There are no favourites. I think Mahi is doing an absolutely great job so let’s just stick with him.

With the advent of T20 matches and a destructive new breed of heavy hitters like yourself, has cricket been reduced to a batsman’s game?

No, never. Cricket is not a batsman’s game. At the end of the day, if your bowlers are not good, you will never win a Test match as you have to bowl an opposition out twice. And it’s certainly not a case of it being ‘whoever hits harder, wins’.

Do you prefer T20 to Tests and ODIs?

Any day, Tests and ODIs will always take precedence over T20 matches.

You have proved yourself to be an agile fielder as well. What’s the secret to good fielding?

Good fielding is a requirement in modern day cricket. So being a good fielder nowadays is a must in Indian cricket. Training is a very important aspect of becoming a good fielder.

The use of technology has once again become a hot topic. Do you think technology helps or hinders decision making?

I think this question is supposed to be answered by the decision makers in cricket. I am just a cricketer who is here to play cricket.

How does Robin Uthappa ‘take it easy’? What do you like to do in your ‘time off’ from cricket?

Well, I usually listen to a lot of music. I am also into long drives