<p>Veteran batsman Robin Uthappa, who had decided to shift allegiance from Karnataka after 15 years, could turn out for Saurashtra in the upcoming domestic season. <br /><br />The seasoned campaigner, who was given the No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) in June, was in talks with the Kerala Cricket Association for a long time. KCA secretary Jayesh George had stated in May that Uthappa was all set to play for the State but no official statement was released from the association. <br /><br />In the latest development, the former India batsman seems to have approached the Saurashtra Cricket Association (SCA). An SCA official said on Friday that they were in talks with Uthappa and a final decision would be taken in a couple of days. <br /><br />The right-hander, who made his debut for Karnataka in the 2002-03 season, was an integral part of the team that clinched the unprecedented double-treble (2013-14, 14-15) –– Ranji Trophy, Irani Cup and the Vijay Hazare Trophy. <br /><br />Uthappa, who has played 130 first class games, was a pale shadow of his glorious days in the last season of the Ranji Trophy. The stylish batsman scored 328 runs in seven innings in a campaign in which Karnataka crashed out in the quarterfinals. <br /><br /> Reacting to Uthappa’s decision to shift loyalties, KSCA secretary Sudhakar Rao said: “We tried our best to convince Robin to play for Karnataka. We told him that he has played for Karnataka for a very long time and he should continue playing for the State. But he wanted some change. We had two meetings with him but his decision didn’t change. He is a senior player and we cannot pressurise him. Wherever he plays, we wish him the best and we really hope he gets back into the Indian side.” <br /></p>
<p>Veteran batsman Robin Uthappa, who had decided to shift allegiance from Karnataka after 15 years, could turn out for Saurashtra in the upcoming domestic season. <br /><br />The seasoned campaigner, who was given the No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) in June, was in talks with the Kerala Cricket Association for a long time. KCA secretary Jayesh George had stated in May that Uthappa was all set to play for the State but no official statement was released from the association. <br /><br />In the latest development, the former India batsman seems to have approached the Saurashtra Cricket Association (SCA). An SCA official said on Friday that they were in talks with Uthappa and a final decision would be taken in a couple of days. <br /><br />The right-hander, who made his debut for Karnataka in the 2002-03 season, was an integral part of the team that clinched the unprecedented double-treble (2013-14, 14-15) –– Ranji Trophy, Irani Cup and the Vijay Hazare Trophy. <br /><br />Uthappa, who has played 130 first class games, was a pale shadow of his glorious days in the last season of the Ranji Trophy. The stylish batsman scored 328 runs in seven innings in a campaign in which Karnataka crashed out in the quarterfinals. <br /><br /> Reacting to Uthappa’s decision to shift loyalties, KSCA secretary Sudhakar Rao said: “We tried our best to convince Robin to play for Karnataka. We told him that he has played for Karnataka for a very long time and he should continue playing for the State. But he wanted some change. We had two meetings with him but his decision didn’t change. He is a senior player and we cannot pressurise him. Wherever he plays, we wish him the best and we really hope he gets back into the Indian side.” <br /></p>
