Saurashtra Cricket Association yet to decide on Robin Uthappa’s fate

The Saurashtra Cricket Association (SCA) has received a transfer application from Robin Uthappa. However, the association is yet to take the call on whether his application will be accepted or not. Uthappa, earlier in June ended his 15-year long stint with Karnataka after he asked for an NOC from the state board. The right-hander took his decision to move after getting sporadic chances in the playing XI last season.

The wicketkeeper batsman was dropped from the team for the Ranji Trophy quarter-final last season. Apart from that, he was also not included in the side for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. The emergence of youngsters along with the negligence of senior players forced him to make a move. The 31-year-old is still keen on making a comeback to the Indias squad. And Uthappa thus wants a team where he gets a consolidated chance to live his dream again.

Speaking to the media, SCA manager Himanshu Shah said, “We have received the application. But we haven’t confirmed him as our player yet.”

Kerala replaces Uthappa with Arun Karthik

Earlier, there surfaced reports that Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) might rope in Uthappa for the upcoming Ranji season. However, the Karnataka born batsman turned the offer down and the association has already found the replacement Arun Karthik. Arun however, is currently busy with the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) commitments and is not a part of the team in the pre-season tournament.

Uthappa is expected to fly to Saurashtra soon to discuss his potential association with the team. In all probability, Saurashtra is expected to approve Uthappa’s application as the side is already missing their marquee players Ravindra Jadeja and Cheteshwar Pujara due to their national commitments. Thus, Uthappa’s arrival will be an aid to fill in the void and provide a new dynamic and exposure to the team.