Robin Uthappa Reveals he Turned to Smoking After CSK Snubbed him from Playing XI

Robin Uthappa made his name in the domestic circuit until his retirement in 2022, scoring over 15,000 runs in both First-Class and List-A matches.

Robin Uthappa Reveals he Turned to Smoking After CSK Snubbed him from Playing XI

Robin Uthappa revealed that he started smoking after being left out of CSK's playing XI during the 2021 IPL season. (via India Today)

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Ex-India cricketer Robin Uthappa made a shocking revelation, admitting that he took up smoking during the 2021 Indian Premier League season. He said he was in a poor emotional state after being kept out of the Chennai Super Kings’ playing XI during that season.

Robin Uthappa made his international debut in April 2006, mesmerizing fans with an unbeaten 86 runs against England. Uthappa was later a part of India’s squad at the 2007 ICC World T20, where he played an important role in a title-winning campaign. However, the Karnataka batter could not secure a long-term spot in the Indian team, ending with 46 ODI and 13 T20I appearances with a total of 1,183 runs.

However, Robin Uthappa remains one of the best players to have featured in the IPL, and is surprisingly the 11th highest run-getter in the competition’s history. The 39-year-old former star has an impressive tally of 4,952 runs in 205 matches, at an average of 27.51 and a strike-rate of 130.35, having hit 27 fifties throughout his IPL career. He also was a part of three IPL-winning campaigns, with KKR and CSK.

Uthappa first won an IPL title with Kolkata Knight Riders in 2014. However, after six seasons with KKR, the 39-year-old was released by the franchise in 2019, following which he was picked up by Rajasthan Royals, and later by Chennai Super Kings. During the 2021 season, Uthappa spent a lot of time on the bench, only playing the last four matches for CSK, scoring 114 runs, including a much-needed 31 off 15 in the final.

It was during this time, that Robin Uthappa revealed he began smoking excessively. He disclosed that the lack of game time at CSK caused him significant emotional distress, and smoking became his way of coping.

Uthappa shared that what began as a one-off thing escalated to four or five cigarettes a day. The Karnataka-batter also mentioned that he eventually opened up to his son and wife about the habit. He said on the First Empire podcast:

In 2021, when I was playing for CSK, I was not getting to play. Internally it was very stressful and emotionally challenging. So as a coping mechanism, I started smoking… It started off as a one-off thing and it went up to around four to five cigarettes.

Robin Uthappa showed glimpses of form in the final stages of the 2021 IPL season, which resulted in him being retained by CSK in 2022. However, it turned out to be a disappointing one for the batter, as he only managed to score 230 runs in 12 matches, as a result of which he went unsold in 2023. 

Robin Uthappa Recalls Troubling Fan Reactions Following India’s 2007 ODI World Cup Exit

Former India wicket-keeper Robin Uthappa recalled the harsh consequences faced by the Indian team, following its early and disappointing exit from the 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup. Uthappa was part of the Rahul Dravid-led squad that was eliminated after a group-stage loss to Bangladesh.

Robin Uthappa India 2007 WC
Robin Uthappa recalled the criticism Indian players faced following an early 2007 ODI World Cup exit. (via NDTV Sports)

India’s 2007 ODI World Cup exit was blamed on then head coach Australian Greg Chappel, for his erratic decision-making. Prior to the WC, Chappell had asked legendary captain Sourav Ganguly to step down in favor of Rahul Dravid, even going so far as to drop him for poor form. It culminated in a WC campaign where India was knocked out after losing two group-stage games to Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

Uthappa opened up about the memories of the World Cup exit, recalling how the atmosphere in India had turned volatile. He recalled that upon returning home, he faced the public’s fury, as angry fans gathered outside his house. He revealed that one of the balconies on his house, which was covered in glass, was shattered by air-gun pellets, which made him reconsider whether he wanted to continue playing.

At my home, in one of the balconies, we had covered it with glass. In that glass, there were holes made by air-gun pellets. I am talking about 2007.

The 39-year-old, who retired in 2023, further stated that once he returned to India in 2007 after the World Cup, he was forced to stay at home for three weeks. Despite being only 21 years old at the time, Robin Uthappa concluded by saying that he felt ashamed to go out in public.

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