Robin Uthappa: 'Wanted to leave KKR after winning IPL 2014', Uthappa reveals; know what was the reason
Uthappa was bought by KKR for Rs 5 crore in the 2014 auction, when his previous team, pune Warriors India, was removed by the IPL Council.
Former kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) opener Robin Uthappa has revealed that he was ready to leave the franchise soon after helping them win the IPL title in 2014. Uthappa was the highest run-scorer in that season, for which he received the Orange Cap. But he wanted to join the auction to take full advantage of the price.
Uthappa was bought by KKR for Rs 5 crore in the 2014 auction, when his previous team, pune Warriors India, was removed by the IPL Council. The move turned out to be a masterstroke for KKR as Uthappa had his best outing in the tournament, scoring 660 runs at an average of 44.00. Opening the innings with skipper gautam Gambhir, he became a key player in KKR's title win.
Uthappa said during a program on YouTube, "After pune Warriors India, I went to KKR for Rs 5 crore. I performed brilliantly, and when we won the IPL 2014 title and I got the Orange Cap, I wanted to be released. I wanted to go back to the auction. I wanted to take full advantage of the opportunity to earn as much as possible. To be honest, how long will you play? Till the age of 35, 36, and by then I was 29. So, I wanted to maximize my earnings as much as possible." Uthappa played for KKR till 2019, after which he joined the inaugural champions rajasthan Royals for Rs 3 crore. He played for chennai Super Kings for two seasons and made significant contributions towards the end of the 2021 season campaign. However, his performance never peaked after the 2014 season with KKR. He said, I went to the leadership group of KKR and spoke to them. They refused and said we cannot let you go. We want you to play for us. We want you to play for us for a long time. Then I spoke to them and found that, based on the contract at that time, I could not earn more than Rs 5 crore. So I let it go. I just wanted to try and negotiate.
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