Robin Uthappa equals MS Dhoni’s IPL record

Robin Uthappa enjoyed a great game against Rising Pune Supergiant. Batting at No. 3, Uthappa set up KKR’s chase of 183 with a stroke-filled 47-ball 87. This was also his best score in an innings in the IPL. While an international call-up has eluded him, Uthappa has scored tons of runs for his franchise KKR over the last three years.

He has formed a crucial cog in the wheels of KKR, who have played brilliantly in this IPL with 6 wins out of 8 games. By virtue of their latest win against RPS, KKR have regained the no. 1 spot in the points table. Uthappa was as magnificent ahead of the stumps as behind.

While keeping wicket today, Uthappa recorded three stumpings which equalled the record for the most stumpings in a game in the IPL. He joins MS Dhoni on top of the list, who did it twice in his IPL career – once in 2010 and the other in 2011 – both against KKR.

Dhoni was himself stumped by Uthappa off the bowling of Kuldeep Yadav today. The chinaman bowler foxed the old horse with a googly which Dhoni didn’t read and was out of the crease by some distance as Uthappa whipped the bails off.

The KKR stumper was in the game again three balls later, off the same bowler, as he again took the stumps off and found Manoj Tiwary marginally out of the crease. He had recorded a smart stumping earlier off the bowling of Sunil Narine. The victim was Indian Test vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane, who made a fine 46.

Uthappa was never a full-time keeper but had to pick the big gloves to give balance to the playing XI. He has done a reasonable job over the years and has improved his glove work every season.

Because of his all-round performance, Uthappa was awarded the Man of the Match award.