You see him on field and you can’t help but be blown away by his flamboyant cricketing style. You catch him in person and you will be charmed by his down-to-earth (borderline shy) demeanour. That’s Robin Uthappa for you. I bumped in to this just-turned-28 cricketer last week, only to discover that he is absolutely smitten by travelling. Of course, that comes second to the “close friend” he is planning to tie the knot with soon. Remember, you first heard that, his travel tales and some more right here!
1. You started playing cricket at the age of 7. How did that happen?
My parents were keen to see me play tennis but I clearly wasn’t. After six months of practicing with the racket, I couldn’t take it anymore. So, took a newspaper to them and said, “I want to go to ‘that’ cricket academy.” Such nerve for a 7 year old! A week later, they admitted me in the academy and cricket happened.
2. You have played for India in ODIs and for different franchisees during IPL. How different is the experience between the two?
When you are representing the country, you play from your heart. There is a lot of pride that goes into it. It’s more of an emotional thing! But when you are playing for franchisees, the whole experience is strictly professional. You have to be a little less emotional and a lot more practical because you get transferred from one team to another. And it takes time to build a bond with the new team.
3. What do you miss most when travelling for work?
With both domestic and international cricket, cricketers travel for about 10 months in a year. One gets used to missing out on family functions, festivals and birthdays. But that’s for the choice of profession we are in. No one’s really complaining!
4. Your favorite cricket stadium?
In India, I heart the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore. The crowd there is absolutely amazing and the atmosphere in the stadium is phenomenal.
5. And abroad?
Two grounds for me really stand out when I think of abroad. The first one is Kingsmead in Durban (South Africa) because I love the wicket there. It’s tagged as one of the fastest wickets in the world. Also, because I made my T20 debut against Pakistan right there!
And, the second is the Sydney Cricket Ground in Australia. It is very special to me because that’s where I witnessed several memorable innings played by Sachin.
6. Ever faced issues with food when travelling?
One difficult experience would have been in Kenya when I visited a restaurant called Carnivore. They serve all kinds of meat available under the sun. Despite being skeptical, I still went with the team. But I didn’t eat anything since I was very disturbed by the fact that they were serving game meat like wildebeest, giraffe, ostrich and even crocodile!
7. So are you only a chicken-a-tarian then?
Absolutely not! I love sea-food. In fact, I recently went to Goa and had the most heavenly crabs ever at Martin’s Corner in South Goa. Interestingly, this crab dish is known as ‘Sachin’s Special’. I am told that happened after Sachin visited them. He enjoyed the crabs so much that they decided to name the dish after him.
8. What kind of hotels do you like staying at when travelling?
Honestly, we are truly spoilt when travelling for work because then it’s definitely a 5-star plus hotel. Personally, I am a stickler for cleanliness. I don’t want to go to another country and have the flush not working. Moreover, I would certainly want a gym in the hotel I stay at.
9. One place you think everyone absolutely must visit?
I will give you two. South Africa and Kenya! The beauty of these places is untouched and so close to nature. I am amazed by the fact that you can see the wildlife up and close in their natural habitat. It’s truly a sight to see the game reserve officials tending to the animals, some even taking care of the cubs. You even get to hold and play with the albino lion and tiger cubs. I did. But be careful, they have sharp claws and teeth.
Rapid Fire:
10. 3 must-do’s in Bangalore – MTR Masala Dosa, Hot Chocolate Fudge at the Corner House, Planetarium.
11. 3 must-do’s in Mumbai – Elco Pani Puri (do not miss it), Worli Sea Link, Prithvi Theatre.
12. Your favourite travel buddy from the Indian cricket team – I would love to travel with Irfan Pathan.
13. A place you fell in love with – Adelaide in Australia. Even though it’s got a city life, it’s so calm and relaxed.
14. Your specialty in the kitchen – I enjoy baking desserts. I promise you, I make the best brownies in the world.
15. You love to collect – Oversized watches! I have 39 of them from all across the world.
16. Mean machine you own – I don’t own my favourite car. Bangalore traffic is already so choked that I will hardly have space to go for a spin in an Aston Martin, Range Rover Sport or Ford Mustang. However, if Ford Mustang does come to India, I would love to buy one.
17. Funny fan moments – I find it very funny when fans ask you to put your arm around them and then they take a step away. It looks like ‘they’ are doing ‘you’ a favour by getting clicked. I guess that’s to show-off to their friends!
18. Most adventurous thing you have ever done when travelling – Walking on the edge of the road on an expressway in Belgium with cars whizzing past me at 200 kilometres an hour or more.
And the BIG Question…
19. What does the year 2014 hold for Robin Uthappa?
I think 2014 is going to be a very special year for me. Frankly, I see a lot of good things happening career wise and it’s going to be the year I will get married. She is a dear friend.
20. Where are you planning to go for your honeymoon?
Well, when I think of honeymoon, I don’t think of just one place. I have nurtured this romantic idea of exploring the world with my life partner. Israel would definitely be one of the places.
And thus, the T-20 interview and my first rendezvous with a cricketer ended on a bright note. In 2014, Robin is going places. What about you?
All pictures courtesy Robin Uthappa!
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