Ranji Trophy: Robin Uthappa looks set to turn up for Kerala in upcoming season

Robin Uthappa is finally looking set to turn out for Kerala from the upcoming domestic season. Uthappa had first tried to join Kerala ahead of the 2017-18 season but the two parties could not strike a deal. The right-handed batsman had then joined Saurashtra, thus plying his trade for the first for the last two seasons. He, however, had missed the entire campaign of Ranji Trophy last season.

Senior office-bearers of Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) were in constant touch with the Kolkata Knight Riders star after the 12th season of IPL ended. According to reports, the veteran batsman has given a positive response and is currently waiting to get a no-objection certificate from Saurashtra Cricket Association. Having Uthappa in their ranks will be a huge boost for Kerala who will be looking to build on their historic campaign last season. Kerala had qualified for the semifinal of the Ranji Trophy for the first time in their history.

“We have asked Robin to hand over a NOC from SCA. Once that is done, Robin will be in our midst. He has not put forward any conditions on moving to Kerala. We were on the lookout for an experienced player who can handle pressure situations to boost our batting and Robin fits the bill,” KCA secretary Sreejith V Nair was quoted as saying by The Times of India.

The news outlet further claimed that KB Arun Karthick, one of the two professional guest players, is likely to make way for Uthappa. Karthick had played for Kerala in the last two domestic seasons. On the other hand, former Madhya Pradesh star Jalaj Saxena will continue to play for the side.

Uthappa eyes return to form

Robin Uthappa, meanwhile, will be desperate to get back to his best after a horrendous outing in this year’s IPL. He managed just 282 runs in 12 outings and was severely criticised for his uncharacteristic slow knocks in few games. Uthappa, nonetheless, continues to remain one of the most experienced players in the domestic circuit.

He had played for Karnataka for almost 15 years, scoring, scoring 6865 runs at an average of 41.85 including 18 centuries in 101 games. He has also represented India in 46 ODIs and 13 T20Is, scoring over 1,000 international runs.

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