Robin Uthappa set for comeback in Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy

He last played in a competitive game in Vijay Hazare Trophy last October and missed the entire Ranji Trophy this year because of an ankle injury. The 33-year-old Robin Uthappa is now set for a comeback and that will boost his sideS – Saurashtra in the soon-to-begin Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy T20 tournament and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) starting next month. Saurashtra, who recently lost to Vidarbha in the final of the Ranji Trophy, will begin their campaign in Syed Mushtaq Ali against Railways in Indore.

Uthappa underwent ankle surgery in UK

The batsman, who originally hails from Karnataka, is likely to open the batting or come at one down depending on the team’s constitution. Uthappa had opened in the Vijay Hazare Trophy – the last tournament he played (for Saurashtra). The last big score Uthappa made was 97 against Uttar Pradesh in the same tournament in September. Uthappa underwent surgery in the UK and went for a break of six weeks. Though he was back into exercising before the Ranji got over and Saurashtra lasted the distance, he did not return to undertake the pressure of multiple-day cricket right away.

“We have Uthappa back in the side as he is fit now. There is not much change in our squad otherwise,” Saurashtra coach Sitanshu Kotak was quoted as saying by Sportstar.

Uthappa, who has played 46 ODIs and 13 T20Is for India scoring over 1,100 runs with seven fifties and was a member of the World Cup squad in 2007, also had a brief stint with commentary during India’s tour Down Under. In the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Saurashtra are clubbed with Sikkim, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Goa and Mumbai besides Railways.

Uthappa had missed the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in 2017 owing to a back injury. The man has close to 10,000 runs in first-class cricket with 21 hundreds and over 6,000 runs in List ‘A’ games with 14 tons. He also has 33 fifties in 232 T20 games.

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