IPL playerIndia2008 to 2022
Robin Uthappa
On scorecards: RV Uthappa · Right-hand bat
Robin Uthappa, a wicketkeeper-batter, played fifteen IPL seasons for six franchises. Two titles came along the way. Only five players have represented more franchises.
The arrival
Robin Uthappa arrived through the auction: Mumbai Indians paid ₹3.20 cr (US$800k), against a base price of ₹80 lakh, at the very first IPL auction.
That first season brought 14 matches and 320 runs.
The peak
The high point with the bat was 2014, for Kolkata Knight Riders: 660 runs at an average of 44.0, striking at 137.8 in a season when the league as a whole struck at 129.1, with 5 fifties, and a highest score of 83 not out. Kolkata Knight Riders won the title that year. There were three seasons of 400 runs or more in all (2012, 2013 and 2014).
Measured against the league around it, though, the most destructive season was 2010: 374 runs at a strike rate of 171.6, 45 runs per hundred balls quicker than the IPL as a whole that year.
Franchise by franchise
2008, Mumbai Indians. Bought at the 2008 auction for ₹3.20 cr. 14 matches and 320 runs.
2009 to 2010, Royal Challengers Bangalore. Arrived outside the auction. 31 matches and 549 runs.
2011 to 2013, Pune Warriors. Bought at the 2011 auction for ₹9.45 cr. 46 matches and 1,103 runs.
2014 to 2019, Kolkata Knight Riders. Bought at the 2014 auction for ₹5 cr. 86 matches and 2,441 runs; champions in 2014.
2020, Rajasthan Royals. Bought at the 2020 auction for ₹3 cr. 12 matches and 196 runs.
2021 to 2022, Chennai Super Kings. Arrived outside the auction. 16 matches and 345 runs; champions in 2021.
6 spells with six franchises in all. The longest was with Kolkata Knight Riders, 2014 to 2019.
How the runs came
Across the career, Robin Uthappa struck at 130.3. The league around those same seasons, weighted by how much batting each one involved, struck at 128.7, so the scoring rate tracked the league's almost exactly. 61% of the runs came in fours and sixes: 481 fours and 182 sixes.
The ball-by-ball record adds the detail. 38.5% of the balls Robin Uthappa faced were dot balls, a higher share than 75% of the 140 batters who have faced 500 balls or more in the IPL. A six came every 20.9 balls, and a four every 7.9.
The fielding record: 92 catches, 45 run-outs and 32 stumpings, the stumpings a reminder of the gloves.
At the auction
Robin Uthappa went under the hammer six times. The highest price was ₹9.45 cr (US$2.10m), paid by Pune Warriors in 2011, more than 10 times the base price.
Seasons without an auction entry were played under a retention, a trade or a signing made outside the auction.
The legacy
On the all-time IPL lists, among 810 players, Robin Uthappa finished 12th for runs, 10th for matches played and 15th for sixes.
Season by season
| Season | Team | M | Runs | HS | Avg | SR | 50/100 | Wkts | Econ | Best | Ct | POTM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Mumbai Indians | 14 | 320 | 48 | 35.6 | 114.7 | 0/0 | – | – | – | 9 | ||
| 2009 | Royal Challengers Bangalore | 15 | 175 | 66* | 15.9 | 102.9 | 1/0 | – | – | – | 8 | ||
| 2010 | Royal Challengers Bangalore | 16 | 374 | 68* | 31.2 | 171.6 | 3/0 | – | – | – | 10 | 1 | |
| 2011 | Pune Warriors | 14 | 264 | 45 | 26.4 | 126.3 | 0/0 | – | – | – | 15 | ||
| 2012 | Pune Warriors | 16 | 405 | 69 | 27.0 | 118.1 | 2/0 | – | – | – | 9 | ||
| 2013 | Pune Warriors | 16 | 434 | 75 | 27.1 | 117.0 | 2/0 | – | – | – | 7 | ||
| 2014 | Kolkata Knight Riders | 16 | 660 | 83* | 44.0 | 137.8 | 5/0 | – | – | – | 8 | 3 | Champions |
| 2015 | Kolkata Knight Riders | 13 | 364 | 80* | 30.3 | 131.4 | 1/0 | – | – | – | 12 | ||
| 2016 | Kolkata Knight Riders | 15 | 394 | 72 | 26.3 | 136.3 | 3/0 | – | – | – | 14 | 1 | |
| 2017 | Kolkata Knight Riders | 14 | 388 | 87 | 29.8 | 165.1 | 5/0 | – | – | – | 15 | 2 | |
| 2018 | Kolkata Knight Riders | 16 | 351 | 54 | 21.9 | 132.4 | 1/0 | – | – | – | 5 | ||
| 2019 | Kolkata Knight Riders | 12 | 284 | 67* | 31.6 | 115.0 | 1/0 | – | – | – | 4 | ||
| 2020 | Rajasthan Royals | 12 | 196 | 41 | 16.3 | 119.5 | 0/0 | – | – | – | 3 | ||
| 2021 | Chennai Super Kings | 4 | 115 | 63 | 28.8 | 136.9 | 1/0 | – | – | – | 0 | Champions | |
| 2022 | Chennai Super Kings | 12 | 230 | 88 | 20.9 | 134.5 | 2/0 | – | – | – | 5 |
Franchise journey
- Mumbai Indians: 2008
- Royal Challengers Bangalore: 2009 to 2010
- Pune Warriors: 2011 to 2013
- Kolkata Knight Riders: 2014 to 2019
- Rajasthan Royals: 2020
- Chennai Super Kings: 2021 to 2022
Ball-by-ball detail
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Dot balls faced | 38.5% |
| Balls per four | 7.9 |
| Balls per six | 20.9 |
| Catches | 92 |
| Run-outs | 45 |
| Stumpings | 32 |
At the auction
| Auction | Set | Base price | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Set G | ₹80 lakh | Sold to Mumbai Indians for ₹3.20 cr (US$800k) |
| 2011 | – | ₹90 lakh | Sold to Pune Warriors for ₹9.45 cr (US$2.10m) |
| 2014 | BA1 | ₹2 cr | Sold to Kolkata Knight Riders for ₹5 cr |
| 2018 | WK1 | ₹2 cr | Sold to Kolkata Knight Riders for ₹6.40 cr |
| 2020 | BA1 | ₹1.50 cr | Sold to Rajasthan Royals for ₹3 cr |
| 2022 | BA1 | ₹2 cr | Sold to Chennai Super Kings for ₹2 cr |
Sources
- CricArcade IPL season statistics
- CricArcade IPL auction archive
- Kaggle IPL Complete Match Dataset 2008-2026, ball-by-ball, cross-checked against Cricsheet