Robin Uthappa, the out-of-favour India batsman, has said he would gladly give up his US$2 million (Dh7.34m) Indian Premier League (IPL) cheque if it would help him get back in the national team.
The 25-year-old played the last of his 38 one-day internationals in July 2008 but remains a hot property among the IPL franchises for his fearless power-hitting and wicketkeeping.
Uthappa hopes to shine for IPL newcomers Pune Warriors, who paid $2.1m for him in the player auctions, but his main goal is to use the Twenty20 tournament as a springboard to force a recall.
"I would do anything to play for the country," Uthappa said.
"Swapping the cheque would be a very easy thing to do, with my eyes closed. Coming back to the Indian team is the most important thing for me."
At home batting anywhere from one to seven in the game's shorter formats, Uthappa insists he has matured as a player in the nearly three years on the sidelines after being dropped for poor form.
"Unfortunately because of a shoulder injury, I missed an India comeback last year," he said.
"God willing, if I can better my IPL performance this year, I can certainly come back in the side. I missed playing for the country in the past couple of years but I think I have improved a lot as a cricketer. I have grown up and matured over the time."
Uthappa is a smart cricketer who blends aggression with improvisation in his knocks.
"You have to improvise, playing against top-class bowlers and against certain field settings. But you should be mindful of your improvisation as well.
"I used to play the scoop shot a lot but it's not my go-to shot anymore. Probably the reverse sweep and switch hit are.
"I try [the switch hit] in the nets very often. I'm a very instinctive player and if I feel the need to play it, I play it. Last year in the Bangalore nets, I was batting and suddenly felt the need to play the shot. Anil Kumble was bowling and I thought 'Well, if I can play it against Kumble, I can definitely play it against anybody.'
"I was lucky enough to pull it off against him and hit the ball a long way. That instilled a lot of confidence in me."
Uthappa said he had learnt to stay away from unwanted advice, fearing it might clutter his otherwise simple approach to the game. Batting advice is sought from Virender Sehwag, the India opener who has a similar "take-no-prisoners" attitude at the crease.
"One person I look up to is Sehwag, I guess we have a similar game. If I have to discuss my game with anyone, it would be him."
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WWE Evolution results
- Trish Stratus and Lita beat Alicia Fox and Mickie James in a tag match
- Nia Jax won a battle royal, eliminating Ember Moon last to win
- Toni Storm beat Io Shirai to win the Mae Young Classic
- Natalya, Sasha Banks and Bayley beat The Riott Squad in a six-woman tag match
- Shayna Baszler won the NXT Women’s title by defeating Kairi Sane
- Becky Lynch retained the SmackDown Women’s Championship against Charlotte Flair in a Last Woman Standing match
- Ronda Rousey retained the Raw Women’s title by beating Nikki Bella
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
South Africa squad
: Faf du Plessis (captain), Hashim Amla, Temba Bavuma, Quinton de Kock (wkt), Theunis de Bruyn, AB de Villiers, Dean Elgar, Heinrich Klaasen (wkt), Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Morne Morkel, Chris Morris, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Duanne Olivier, Vernon Philander and Kagiso Rabada.
THE SPECS
Engine: 3.6-litre V6
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 285bhp
Torque: 353Nm
Price: TBA
On sale: Q2, 2020
