Uthappa hopes to make the team for World Cup

Karnataka batsman Robin Uthappa believes that he does have a chance of making the India squad for the 2015 Cricket World Cup.

“Absolutely (I can get into the side). We can do with an another opener and I believe that,” he said.

“I am hoping that I can get a few more good performances under my belt. I can set up and win games for my country,” Uthappa told reporters here on Monday while announcing a tie up with a new sports marketing firm.

The opening batsman also spoke about the upcoming Champions League T20.
“It’s (Kolkata Knight Riders) a great team to play in. Winning the IPL last season brought the team a lot closer.

“Some of the boys have already started practicing in South Africa and I join the camp in Hyderabad on September 13 and I am kicked about playing in it,” he explained.

The 28-year old, who was part of the India ‘A’ tour of Australia recently, felt he could have done better Down Under. The dashing right-hander made only 134 runs from seven innings, but said he was pleased with the way he was batting.

“I would have personally liked to have done better but I’m happy that we won the tournament,” he pointed out. “I was not batting badly or anything and that was the best part of it all. I was middling the ball but I was finding the fielder all the time. It happens sometimes and it is part and parcel of the game.”

The part-time wicketkeeper, who was part of a unique treble as Karnataka won the Ranji Trophy, Vijay Hazare Trophy and the Irani Trophy last season, identified the team’s sense of belief as the key component of the achievement.

“We always knew we were a great side but what we lacked was a sense of belief. But we consciously started to work on it during the second half of the tournament (Ranji Trophy) and at no point did we tell ourselves that the ‘game was getting out of our hands.’

That’s what helped us win the Ranji and we carried that momentum to win the Irani as well as the Vijay Hazare Trophy.” 

Uthappa has been in and out of the one-day international squad ever since he made his debut against England in 2006 and he does concede that it can be a frustrating experience.

“It has been frustrating  but it has made me stronger and it makes me more hungry when I am training.”