India wicketkeeper-batsman Robin Uthappa still hopes to get back in the blue and also believes that a good season of Indian Premier League could help him to return to the India team. The 13th edition of IPL will begin from September 19th and the 53-day tournament will be played in the UAE this year, keeping the increasing number of COVID-19 cases in mind.
The matches will be played in three cities - Sharjah, Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Robin Uthappa, who was bought by Rajasthan Royals at the auctions last year and he has said that he still believes he could return to the international side.
While answering a question from a fan in a video uploaded on Rajasthan Royals’ Twitter account, Uthappa said: “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.”
“I am someone who is always positive as a human being and I look for silver linings even in negative situations. So my conviction is really strong that god willing, that I will be able to represent my country again and bring laurels to it. I hope that happens,” he added.
“Anyone who plays competitive cricket hopes to play for the country and bring laurels to the country. So the dream is very much alive,” he further shared.
Robin Uthappa has played 46 ODIs where he has scored 934 runs at an average of 25.94. He has also played 13 T20Is where he has scored 249 runs. Notably, he was a part of India’s 2007 T20 World Cup-winning squad as well.
In his IPL career, Uthappa has played 177 games where he has amassed 4,411 runs which came at an average of 28.83 and at a strike rate of 130.5. He was one of the vital cogs of the Kolkata Knight Riders franchise that won the title twice, but he was not retained by KKR last year.
On the other hand, the BCCI has received the formal approval from the central government to host the 13th edition of Indian Premier League (IPL) in the UAE, IPL Chairman Brijesh Patel has revealed the news.
“Yes, we have received all the written approvals,” Patel told PTI when he was asked whether the permission has come in writing from both the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
Notably, if an Indian sports body shifts a domestic tournament outside India, they require the clearance from Home, External and sports ministries respectively to host the tournament there.
“Once we had the verbal okay from the government, we had intimated the Emirates Cricket Board. Now we have the papers also, so franchisees can be intimated that everything is in order,” a veteran BCCI official said to PTI on conditions of anonymity.
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