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India Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- India Today
Wanted to leave KKR despite winning IPL 2014: Robin Uthappa's big revelation
Former Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) opener Robin Uthappa has said that he was ready to leave the franchise right after helping them win the 2014 Indian Premier League (IPL) title. He was the highest run-getter in the season which won him the Orange Cap, but wanted to return to the auction to make the most of his market was signed by KKR for Rs 5 crore at the 2014 auction after his previous team Pune Warriors India was removed by the IPL council. The move proved to be a masterstroke for KKR as Uthappa enjoyed his best season in the tournament, scoring 660 runs at an average of 44.00. Opening the innings alongside captain Gautam Gambhir, he became a key player in KKR's title-winning Pune Warriors India, I went to KKR for Rs 5 crore. After my big year (with the bat), we won the IPL (2014) and I got the Orange Cap, I wanted to be released. I wanted to go back in the auction. I wanted to maximize the opportunity to earn more. To be honest, how much longer are you gonna play? Till 35, 36. And I was already 29 by then. So, I wanted to maximize my earnings,' Uthappa admitted on the 'KimAppa' show hosted by Jarrod Kimber on YouTube. The wicketkeeper-batter went on to play for the franchise until 2019 after which he joined the inaugural champions Rajasthan Royals for INR 3 crore. He did play for Chennai Super Kings for two seasons and made key contributions in the fag end of the 2021 campaign. However, his performance never peaked after his 2014 season with KKR.'I went and had a conversation with the leadership group at KKR. They denied and said we can't let you go. We want you to play for us. We want you to play for us for a long time. And then I had a conversation with them and there was no way I could've earned more than Rs 5 crore based on the contract at that point. So I let it go. I just wanted to try and it was worth having a conversation,' he said, recalling the instance after the winning who was last seen in CSK threads in the IPL 2022 season, has played for six teams over the course of a 15-year IPL stint. He has earlier heaped praise on Chennai Super Kings' management for the environment they provided, contrary to the last two years at Dinesh Karthik-led Knight Riders side.- EndsMust Watch
NDTV
13-05-2025
- Sport
- NDTV
"Something Very...": Ex-India Star Recalls Young Virat Kohli's Unforgettable Knock
Former Indian cricket team batter Robin Uthappa recently recalled an emotional and powerful moment from Virat Kohli 's early cricketing journey. Speaking on the KimAppa show, Uthappa shared how Kohli turned up and batted in a Ranji Trophy match for Delhi just hours after losing his father. Despite the pain and heartbreak, the young batter showed immense strength, composure and focus at the crease. The incident left a deep impression on Uthappa, who described the moment as both heartbreaking and beautiful. Kohli, just 18 at the time, arrived at the ground in complete silence. No one knew what had happened. He kept to himself, quietly preparing for the match. It wasn't until someone asked why he looked unusually quiet that he shared the news—that his father had died the night before. Uthappa, who was playing for Karnataka in that match, said the moment shook everyone in the dressing room. 'There was something very beautiful about it,' he said. 'You could see the grief in his eyes, but he was there, ready to bat. That day, I realised he was different." Kohli's decision to play despite the personal loss wasn't about proving a point—it was about honouring his father's belief in his dream. His father, Prem Kohli, supported his cricket journey from the very beginning. By choosing to bat that day, Kohli paid a silent tribute to him. While the innings itself might not have been record-breaking in numbers, it was unforgettable in emotions and intent. It showed the world a glimpse of the mental strength and discipline that would go on to define Virat Kohli's career. Uthappa added, 'That's the kind of love and respect he had for the game. Even at that age, he knew what cricket meant to his journey. He channelled that grief into performance." Years later, this story continues to resonate as a symbol of Kohli's unmatched passion, professionalism, and deep emotional connection with the sport. The story also serves as a reminder of the sacrifices and emotional challenges athletes often face behind the scenes. For many, moments like these are never seen on camera or reflected in statistics, but they shape a sportsperson's character. In Kohli's case, it became a turning point—a moment that not only revealed his mental toughness but also set the tone for the fierce, driven cricketer the world would come to know. For Uthappa and others who witnessed it, the memory remains unforgettable. Listen to the latest songs, only on
Time of India
12-05-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
'Something very beautiful about it': Robin Uthappa recalls the day Virat Kohli batted through grief
Virat Kohli Robin Uthappa , former Karnataka player, recalled the remarkable incident from 2006 when an 18-year-old Virat Kohli returned to bat for Delhi in a Ranji Trophy match against Karnataka, just hours after his father's death, scoring 90 runs to help his team avoid the follow-on. Uthappa shared his memories of witnessing Kohli's resilience during that challenging moment on the KimAppa show. The incident occurred when Kohli was batting on 40 overnight when his father, Prem Kohli, suffered a cardiac arrest and passed away at 2:30 AM. Despite the tragedy, the young cricketer chose to continue playing the next day. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! Kohli had previously shared his experience of that difficult moment in an interview with Graham Bensinger. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Invest $200 in Amazon without buying stocks to earn a second salary Marketsall Sign Up Undo "I was playing a four-day game at the time and was supposed to resume batting the next day when this happened at 230 odd in the morning. We all woke up but had no idea what to do. I literally saw him breathe his last. I called my coach in the morning and told him what had happened and that I wanted to play because leaving a cricket match was not acceptable to me no matter what. I came back from the game for the last rites and promised my brother that I will play for India," Kohli had said. Quiz: Who's that IPL player? Uthappa, who was playing for Karnataka in that match, described his observations of young Kohli's demeanor during that innings. "We heard about Virat, we heard about this young kid's father's demise. There was some accommodation that we needed to do as far as an extra fielder and all that's concerned. But then he came on to bat the following day, which was pretty incredible. I remember just kind of speaking to him for about 30 seconds or so, just offering my condolences. He was very, very sweet about it. But when he batted that day, there was something about his eyes and the way he batted. very resolute when he batted, very few emotions, very resolute. Not like the burning fire we see Virat batting with, it was, it was more like an ember, you know what I mean? It was just like steady and controlled and keeping everything in check, something very beautiful, I felt. I sensed that time, about a youngster dealing with the demise of his father, and still turning up to play for his state, something very beautiful about it," Uthappa shared. India's probable Test squad for England Tour Uthappa also noted how this incident gave him his first glimpse of Kohli's potential greatness. "Just the way he went about his innings was phenomenal, more than the cricket, what I remembered was the way he held himself. For me, that was the first time I kind of saw the thirst and perhaps the greatness of Virat Kohli, just Virat as a player. But after that, we became fast friends in RCB, and then, you know, we spent a lot of time together," Uthappa added.
Indian Express
12-05-2025
- Sport
- Indian Express
Robin Uthappa on the day Virat Kohli batted despite dad's demise: ‘There was something about his eyes that day'
One of the most repeated anecdotes about Virat Kohli's commitment to cricket has been the time he batted for the Delhi Ranji Trophy team against Karnataka despite the demise of his father, Prem Kohli, during the game in 2006. Kohli was batting on 40 overnight when his father passed away due to cardiac arrest. But the 18-year-old Kohli returned the next morning and ended up scoring 90 runs to help prevent Delhi following on. 'I was playing a four-day game at the time and was supposed to resume batting the next day when this (father passed) happened at 230 odd in the morning. We all woke up but had no idea what to do. I literally saw him breathe his last,' Kohli once told Graham Bensinger in an interview. 'I called my coach in the morning and told him what had happened and that I wanted to play because leaving a cricket match was not acceptable to me no matter what. I came back from the game for the last rites and promised my brother that I will play for India.' Now, after Kohli ended his innings in Test cricket, Robin Uthappa, who was playing in that Ranji Trophy game for Karnataka, has spoken up about the experience of watching Kohli play. 'We heard about Virat, we heard about this young kid's father's demise. There was some accommodation that we needed to do as far as an extra fielder and all that's concerned. But then he came on to bat the following day, which was pretty incredible. I remember just kind of speaking to him for about 30 seconds or so, just offering my condolences. He was very, very sweet about it. But when he batted that day, there was something about his eyes and the way he batted… very resolute when he batted, very few emotions, very resolute. Not like the burning fire we see Virat batting with, it was, it was more like an ember, you know what I mean? It was just like steady and controlled and keeping everything in check, something very beautiful, I felt. I sensed that time, about a youngster dealing with the demise of his father, and still turning up to play for his state, something very beautiful about it,' Uthappa said on the KimAppa show on Monday. He went on to add: 'Just the way he went about his innings was phenomenal, more than the cricket, what I remembered was the way he held himself. For me, that was the first time I kind of saw the thirst and perhaps the greatness of Virat Kohli, just Virat as a player. But after that, we became fast friends in RCB, and then, you know, we spent a lot of time together.'
The Hindu
02-05-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
Carry on, KimAppa
It's that time of the year again, when the Indian Premier League (IPL) dominates sports pages in India across a couple of months. When it comes to sports broadcasting — and increasingly, podcasting — fans are divided into two groups. One group, old-school, likes former players sharing anecdotes from their playing days, stories about contemporary cricketers and how they were 'discovered', et cetera. A newer generation of fans prefers a more scientific approach, listening to analysts, people who crunch the numbers and come up with the most crucial factors and phases that defined the gameplay that day. The all-new KimAppa podcast seeks to combine these two aspects and so far, has delivered the best of both worlds. The podcast features writer and cricket analyst Jarrod Kimber alongside former Team India batter Robin Uthappa, who was part of MS Dhoni's T20 World Cup-winning team from 2007, and represented India in one-day international cricket as well (the name of the podcast is, of course, a portmanteau of their names). KimAppa is hosted on Kimber's 'Good Areas' YouTube page as well as on Uthappa's own channel. There have been four episodes of about 70-80 minutes apiece so far, and new episodes are recorded live on the weekend, covering the entire week's IPL action. Breaking down the power game From the first episode itself, it was obvious that Kimber and Uthappa enjoy an easygoing rapport. They're both deep thinkers of the game, they've both worked with IPL teams and other franchises around the world. And they're good sports, generally speaking. In the second episode, Kimber introduced himself by saying, 'I'm Jarrod Kimber, a writer and podcaster and other things that no one cares about, and with me is Robin Uthappa, former Team India opener who in the 2007 ODI World Cup scored 3 against the mighty Bermuda team'. To his credit, Uthappa laughed at the reference, arguably the most-photographed moment of his career, because his dismissal against Bermuda involved a spectacular one-handed catch by Dwayne 'Sluggo' Leverock, a potbellied Bermuda policeman who somehow glided a fair way to his right like a gazelle for this one play. So much of T20 cricket these days revolves around the power game practised by the batters, and Uthappa does a great job of breaking down hitting technique. During the second episode, Uthappa talks about his own game against spinners, and the importance of reading length correctly — and early. This is high-quality analysis that draws from other sports such as baseball as well, in its biomechanical antecedents. The inevitable sense of machismo associated with prolific six-hitters like M.S. Dhoni and Andre Russell is also alluded to in a tongue-in-cheek way, when Kimber asks Uthappa, 'How does it make you feel as a man when you see M.S. Dhoni coming in to bat as low as number 9?' Mental health and finishing schools If like me you enjoy looking at the bigger picture when it comes to sports and geopolitics, KimAppa has you covered. There's an excellent analysis of the recently-revealed Saudi Arabia's plans to make major investments in cricket. We learned last month that the kingdom is planning a multi-billion-dollar franchise tournament, that negotiations around the same have been underway for a while now. What would this Saudi league look like, and what would that mean for the cricketing landscape in general? Does such a massive and time-consuming league signal the beginning of the end for international cricket's primacy on the calendar? The podcast offers insightful answers to questions like these. For me, however, the most impressive segment so far was the one where Kimber and Uthappa talk about the mental health of pro cricketers, especially those thrust into the limelight during their teenage years. Uthappa won the World Cup while still 20, and as he puts it himself on the podcast, he was 'lost' for a good four to five years. At one point, he whips out an old photograph and shows it to Kimber — an unrecognisable Uthappa is at least 30-40 pounds heavier than usual, with haunted eyes trying his best to fake a smile. Uthappa also speaks poignantly about rebounding from a suicide attempt. I think the episode should be required listening/watching for very young cricketers. In a similar vein Kimber and Uthappa also talk about the latter's ideas for a 'finishing school' for young cricketers. 'Table manners, how to talk to the press, how to handle investments, how to read contracts, what skills they are developing outside of cricket,' said Uthappa, 'all of this stuff should be taught to youngsters so that when they eventually stop playing professionally, they have something to move towards, something that will set them up for life after the game.' For diehard cricket fans, I cannot recommend KimAppa highly enough. And even if you are more of a casual fan and don't follow the game particularly closely, I think you'll find plenty to interest you in this podcast. The writer and journalist is working on his first book of non-fiction.
