I am happy to be back to playing cricket, says Robin Uthappa
Robin Uthappa made a comeback in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy for Saurashtra scoring 46 runs against the Railways. Utthappa returned as an improved and confident cricketer after struggling with an ankle injury that kept him out of action for about four months requiring surgery and rehabilitation.
Robin Uthappa has been a significant part of the Kolkata Knight Riders side in IPL with his international stint almost over as he was last seen in Indian colours back in India's tour of Zimbabwe in 2015. He played for the Karnataka cricket team till the 2017 season and switched to the Saurashtra team soon after.
The top-order revealed that he has been good as of now after struggling with the ankle injury, which troubled him for about three or four years that also impeded flexibility and movement in that area.
"I am in a good place right now. Well honestly, it has been a learning curve for me - going through the injury, and then, the surgery," Uthappa was quoted as saying by the KKR website.
The wicket-keeper batsman, who started training at the KKR Academy, Mumbai, in January under the guidance of head coach and mentor Abhishek Nayar, also stated that Nayar’s approach was divergent yet helpful. Uthappa returned to the scheme of things in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match for Saurashtra and scored 46 runs in the T20 encounter and shared an 82-run partnership with Cheteshwar Pujara, although it went in vain.
"Immediately after the surgery, the range of movements around my ankle was almost twice as much as (it was) before the surgery even happened. So I am really happy to get it out of the way. I am happy to be back to playing cricket. As I have batted more balls and spent more time here in the middle, I've actually felt I have gotten better and better and better," he said.