Robin Uthappa to turn up for new team in next domestic season - Reports

Robin Uthappa will replace KB Arun Karthik as one of the two professional guest players for Kerala in the 2019-20 season.

Robin Uthappa in all probability will turn up for Kerala in the upcoming domestic season. Uthappa will replace KB Arun Karthik as one of the two professional guest players for Kerala in the 2019-20 season.

Kolkata Knight Riders cricketer Robin Uthappa celebrates after scoring a half-century (50 runs) during the Indian Premier League (IPL) Twenty20 cricket match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Kings XI Punjab at the Eden Gardens Stadium in Kolkata on March 27, 2019. (AFP)

The KKR batsman, who did not have the best of times in IPL 2019, was in constant touch with Kerala Cricket Association members during the course of the tournament and according to Times of India, he has given a positive reaction to the offer. Uthappa is currently waiting for an NOC from Saurashtra Cricket Association.

“We have asked Robin to hand over an 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 told TOI.

Uthappa, who made his First-class debut for Karnataka way back in 2002, decided to part ways with Karnataka State Cricket Association in 2017 to join hands with Saurashtra. He has been representing Saurashtra for the last couple of seasons but according to reports the 33-year-old was not satisfied. Uthappa, surprisingly, did not play a single Ranji Trophy match last season.

Kerala had approached Uthappa even in 2017, when he had obtained an NOC from Karnataka but somehow the talks fell off and Uthappa joined Saurashtra. But now, the experienced right-hander has apparently made up his mind.

Uthappa faced the wrath of fans for not being able to up the ante in KKR’s must-win last group match against Mumbai Indians, which they lost and were knocked out of the tournament. Uthappa laboured his way to 40 off 47 balls.

Uthappa, however, has a stellar record in domestic cricket. In 136 First-class matches, he has scored 9118 runs at an average of 41.25 along with 21 hundreds.