Robin Uthappa All Set To Join Kerala Ranji Team From 2019-20 Season
Veteran batsman Robin Uthappa is all set to start a new chapter in his career. The former India cricketer is now gearing up t to play for the Kerala Ranji team from the next season. Kerala will be Uthappa’s third team in the Ranji Trophy after Karnataka and Saurashtra. Uthappa plied his trade for Karnataka for 15 years before switching to Saurashtra in 2017-18 season.
He led Karnataka to the final of the 2009-10 Ranji Trophy. The 33-year old was also part of the Karnataka side that did the double-treble, winning the Ranji Trophy, Irani Cup and the Vijay Hazare Trophy in 2013-14 and 2014-15. But a poor outing in the 2016-17 season saw him lose his place in the team which eventually made his switch team.
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According to report in Manorama, Uthappa has reached an agreement in this regard with the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA). Once the Karnataka native gets a non-objection certificate (NOC) from Saurashtra, he can join the Kerala team. However, both the parties are yet to strike a deal on the remuneration. Uthappa will replace opener and Tamil Nadu native Arun Karthik.
All-rounder Jalaj Saxena who had played a crucial role in the past three seasons would continue to be part of the Kerala team. The KCA has renewed the contract with Saxena in addition to raising his annual renumeration to Rs 26 lakh. He earned Rs 55 lakh in the previous three seasons. Dav Whatmore will continue to be the team coach as Kerala will look to build on their historic campaign last season. They had made it to the semifinal of the Ranji Trophy for the first time.
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One of the most experienced cricketers in the domestic circuit now, Uttappa has played in 46 One-Day Internationals and 13 T20s for the Indian team. He was part of the Indian team that won the inaugural World T20 in 2007. He has scored 9,118 runs, which includes 21 centuries and 51 half-centuries, in 136 first-class games. He is the one of the key players of Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
