IPL 2021: Robin Uthappa reveals the details of his conversation with MS Dhoni

India’s veteran cricketer Robin Uthappa shares a good camaraderie with former Indian captain MS Dhoni and their association dates back to 2007 as Robin was a vital part of India’s T20I squad that won the ICC T20 World Cup 2007 under the leadership of Dhoni. Both the veteran players are all set to play together once again as ahead of the 2021 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), Uthappa was traded to CSK from RR.

Owing to the good relations between Robin and Dhoni, it was speculated that the CSK skipper himself initiated the talks of the inclusion of the opening batsman in the Super Kings. However, the 35-year-old Uthappa rubbished such claims stating that MS had personally called him to clear that his inclusion in CSK was a call from the team-management and the head coach.  

Revealing the details of his conversation with the former Indian skipper, the opening batsman reckoned that he was traded to CSK as the Yellow Army trusted in his abilities to help the team and there was no intervention from MS in this decision.

“He, in fact, called me. He said, ‘I want you to know that I didn’t make the decision about you coming in here. It was actually the decision of the leadership group, which involved the coaches and the CEO’,” Uthappa told ESPNcricinfo.

“He also said – and that’s what I love about him – ‘I didn’t want anyone to think that I was the one picking you. I wanted you to get into the team with your own ability and with your own skill. And when it came to me, I said, please ask everybody else in making the decision about you. Because anyone might feel ‘because MS is there, Robin got here’,” Uthappa added.

Robin Uthappa hails MS Dhoni

Further, the right-hander heaped praises on Dhoni for showing his trust and honesty as Uthappa reckoned that having skippers’ backing gives a lot of confidence to the players especially when they have to perform in the tournament as big as IPL.

“It is amazing, right, when there is that level of honesty. I truly appreciate that. For me, I know that I have gotten there by my own skill, by my own credibility. That is what I love about MS. You want to play for a leader like that, who gives you that confidence that, ‘Hey, you have come in here by your own credibility. I’ve done nothing,” Robin Uthappa said.