IPL 2018 | I hope to get better with matches happening now, says Uthappa
Robin Uthappa is now hoping to get better with every match coming up after the top-order batsman finally managed to get some runs on the board. Uthappa’s lean start to the IPL season got a huge boost in his 36-ball 48 against Rajasthan Royals, after a not so good domestic season.
KKR batsman Uthappa has finally got himself off the blocks this season when his 48-run knock played a crucial role in the side’s seven-wicket victory over Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur on Wednesday. The knock had brilliant shots and clean slogging, which eventually took KKR atop the table, and Uthappa has been hoping to capitalize on that.
“I have been striking the ball pretty well. I had an off-colour domestic season but I never felt I was not hitting the ball well, it was just about the runs. I am happy to be continuing in the same vein, making a difference to the team but I still think it is early days and I need to keep getting better. I hope to get better with the matches happening now,” said KKR batsman after the match.
Uthappa was also all praise for young Nitish Rana, who has been performing consistently for KKR this season, so far. Picking up the important wickets of D’Arcy Short and Ajinkya Rahane and then scoring unbeaten an 35 off 27 balls, Rana was made the Man of the Match for the second consecutive match.
“Nitish has a very firm head on his shoulders, reads the game very well and is also very confident. If he can continue performing in the way he has been over the last couple of seasons, he gives himself a good chance to grow as a cricketer,” said Uthappa.
Uthappa has played under Gautam Gambhir for long, winning KKR two titles, and now seemingly flourishing under Dinesh Karthik. And he was quick to point out that both have their own ways of managing the team and are equally effective.
“Gauti (Gambhir) and DK (Karthik) are very different personalities. DK is someone who thinks a lot, who likes a lot of information but at the same time, he leaves enough room for instinct as a captain to be proactive and make decisions, which is wonderful. Gauti has been more of an instinctive captain. He has been naturally very proactive as a captain. So both are very different personalities but still have the most important characteristics required as a captain in this format,” said Robin Uthappa
Rajasthan did manage to get to a healthy total of 160, which looked like a winning total, given the uncertain nature of the wicket. But KKR snatched an easy win with some class batting display. And Rahane credited the bowlers stating that it was an unlucky day for the opponents.
“Our bowlers have been bowling really well,” Rahane said. “In T20s it happens, even if they bowl well sometimes they will go for runs. I will back my bowlers. When you lose the game, people start talking about what about your bowling, what about your batting. We were 15-20 runs short but it (the loss) is nothing to do with our bowling.”
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