The former India batsman, who was a part of the 2007 T20 World Cup winning side, has announced his retirement from all forms. He made the announcement on his Twitter handle on Wednesday.
On Wednesday, former India batsman Robin Uthappa announced his retirement from all forms of Indian cricket. The 36-year-old last played for India in the year 2015 against Zimbabwe.
“It has been my greatest honour to represent my country and my state, Karnataka. However, all good things must come to an end, and with a grateful heart, I have decided to retire from all forms of Indian cricket. Thank you all,” he posted on Twitter.
With this announcement, the right-handed batsman is eligible to play in leagues in other countries.
Uthappa made his first-class debut in the 2002-03 season for Karnataka as a teenager. The batsman was also a member of India’s 2004 Under-19 World Cup team. His performance in the domestic run and the Under-19 World Cup earned him a place in the Indian squad.
He made his ODI debut against England at Indore in 2006. Uthappa opened the batting with then-India captain Rahul Dravid and went on to score a well-made 86 before getting run-out.
Uthappa was often praised for his aggressive batting style, constantly putting the opposition team under pressure. Although a natural ball striker, his performance was often inconsistent, and he couldn’t cement his place in the side.
He represented India in 46 ODIs and has 934 runs under his belt with a strike rate of 90.6. He also played 13 T20Is scoring 249 runs at an impressive strike rate of 118.
Uthappa was also a part of the team that lifted the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007 in South Africa. Among his most notable contributions was a knock of 50 runs in 39 balls. It came against arch-rivals Pakistan in a group match in the 2007 T20 World Cup.
He returned to hit the stumps after the match ended in a tie, as the winner had to be decided by a “bowl out.” The celebration of him taking his cap off and bowing down remains etched in the hearts of Indian fans.
Robin Uthappa retires from IPL too
After announcing his retirement, Uthappa thanked all the IPL teams he has played so far. His heroics with the bat helped the Kolkata Knight Riders win the title in 2012 and 2014 under Gautam Gambhir’s captaincy.
He was also an integral part of the Chennai Super Kings franchise that won the 2021 IPL title under MS Dhoni’s captaincy. Uthappa played 12 matches for Chennai Super Kings in last season’s IPL, scoring 230 runs with a best of 88. Chennai, however, failed to qualify for the playoffs.
The batsman played in all 15 seasons of the IPL. He represented as many as six teams in the tournament: Chennai Super Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders, Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Rajasthan Royals, and Pune Warriors India.
Uthappa was at his best at the Kolkata Knight Riders in the 2014 edition of the Indian Premier League. The edition witnessed him become only the second Indian to win the Orange Cap for the tournament’s highest run-scorer. Sachin Tendulkar was the first Indian to win it in the 2010 IPL.
The batsman has had many memorable knocks in the IPL. He has 4,952 runs under his name in 205 IPL games, with an average of 27.51 and a strike rate of 130.35. He has 27 fifties to his name and is the 9th highest run-getter in the history of the tournament.
With his retirement, he will no more be taking part in the IPL. Uthappa has obtained a no-objection certificate (NOC) from Kerala, the last state he played for in domestic cricket. This will allow him to take up assignments in overseas T20 leagues and start a new phase in his life.
On the domestic front, Uthappa helped Karnataka win the Ranji Trophy, the Irani Cup, and the Vijay Hazare Trophy in the 2013-14 season. Uthappa also played a part in Karnataka’s second successive treble-winning season in 2014-15.
He represented Saurashtra and Kerala later in his career. Uthappa last played a List A game for Kerala, against his former side Karnataka, in March last year.
