IPL 2018: Stephen Fleming Worried by Robin Uthappa's Ability With the Bat

There are very few batsmen whose stroke-making has looked as spectacular as Robin Uthappa’s this season. The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) star has looked a class apart during his stay on the crease no matter what the duration was.

The only problem so far has been his failure to make the starts count.

Eight games into this season and Uthappa is yet to register a fifty. His highest has been 48 against Rajasthan Royals.

Not surprisingly, he is lying at 20th on the run-getters’ list despite having an impressive strike rate of 145.25. But while big scores are yet to come off his bat, his form is enough to give the opposition a lot to ponder about.

And Stephen Fleming, head coach of Chennai Super Kings (CSK), admitted that he is worried that Uthappa might score big against them in the upcoming game

“That makes me worried because it means he (Uthappa) is due. I would have rather that he was on a big streak. If we can get him early or another 30, we would be delighted because he is an outstanding and a very aggressive player,” said Fleming on the eve of the game.

Unlike Uthappa, Ambati Rayudu, another senior batsman, is making the most of his chances. He is one of the prime reasons behind Super Kings’s flying start to the season.

With 370 runs at an average of 46.25 and a strike rate of 156.11, the former Mumbai Indians star is the holder of the Orange Cap.

What is even more impressive that Rayudu has performed well despite being asked to bat at different positions.

Fleming lavished praise on him, hailing him for his patience and flexibility.

“He’s (Rayudu) been massive. We did pick him keeping in mind that there would be a little bit of shuffling (in his batting position). And he has done that before (for Mumbai Indians)…The way he plays interests me a lot and the way he has performed this year has been fantastic. His partnership with Dhoni the other night (against Delhi Daredevils) showed how flexible he is and how calm he is at the moment,” said Fleming.

Super Kings are currently at the top of the table with 6 wins in 8 games. On the other hand, Knight Riders are fourth with 4 wins and as many losses.

Also, Read: IPL 2018: Twitter Reacts As Delhi Daredevils Beat Rajasthan Royals In High-Scoring Thriller