Seasoned batsman Robin Uthappa is eying a comeback in the T20I format as a finisher and believes he still has more international cricket left in him.
Uthappa, who was a member of the 2007 One-day International World Cup team and the inaugural T20 World Cup-winning squad, last featured for India in July 2015, during a limited-overs tour of Zimbabwe.
The 34-year-old has featured in just eight ODIs and four T20 matches since October 2011. “Right now I want to be competitive,” Uthappa was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.
“I still have that fire burning in me, I really want to compete and do well. I honestly believe I have a World Cup left in me, so I’m pursuing that, especially the shortest format.”
The Karnataka veteran, however, understands that to stage a spectacular return to the Indian side, he needs a bit of luck as well.
“The blessings of Lady Luck or God or whatever you call it....plays a massive factor,” he said.
“In India, it becomes so much more evident. I don’t think it is as evident when you’re playing cricket outside of India,” Uthappa added. “But in the subcontinent and India especially, with the amount of talent that we do have in our country, all of those aspects become evident.”
Uthappa said he won’t hang up his boots till he realises his dreams. He said: “You can never write yourself off. You would be unfair to yourself if you write yourself off. Especially if you believe you have the ability and you know that there is an outside chance. So I still believe in that outside chance.
“I still believe that things can go my way and I probably can be a part of a World Cup-winning team and play an integral role in that as well. Those dreams are still alive and I think I’ll keep playing cricket till that is alive.”
Even though he has played as a top-order batsman for a large chunk of his career, Uthappa said he is now eyeing the role of a finisher in the Indian team and has already stated his training at home in the wake of the country-wide lockdown due to the deadly Covid-19 pandemic.
“What I’ve been trying to do is to make sure that I’m well prepared. Opening the batting is something I can do at any point of time. I’m trying to make sure I’m well equipped to bat in the middle order as well,” he said.
“One of the things that we need today in Indian cricket is a good finisher, and that’s something that I’m pursuing and working hard on. It’s something I’m looking forward to improving on a day to day basis.”