Former Indian cricketer Robin Uthappa blamed an ex-Karnataka teammate for creating a rift with Karun Nair. The keeper-batter’s statement during an interview on Test caps being handed out freely did not sit well with Nair and it eventually led to a divide between the two. Uthappa broke his silence on the alleged rift, claiming that twisted comments, which Karun did not bother to recheck, led to infighting in the Karnataka team.
Karun Nair vs Robin Uthappa: What actually went down
Speaking on the First Umpire podcast, Uthappa revealed that he had made comments on Test caps being handed out easily instead of being earned in an interview during the 2016-17 Ranji Trophy season. He claimed that a teammate of his from Karnataka back then showed Karun a piece of the interview, accusing Uthappa of referring to him. The former India keeper-batter claimed that Nair had alienated him and that infighting within the Karnataka team began shortly after that.
“Someone from our team took that piece of the interview and told Karun Nair that I had said it about him. Karun Nair, who was like a younger brother, alienated me at that time because he was close to getting a Test cap. He didn’t check with me and believed it. A few days later, some infighting started. When the interview came out, since it was in Bombay, and Bombay loves to dominate domestic cricket, the media there even portrayed it in a way that could be perceived as if I was talking about Karun. Karun believed it and distanced himself from me,” Uthappa claimed.
Uthappa never managed to make his Test debut, despite being active in T20I and ODI formats since 2006 and 2007. Towards the fag end of his domestic career, Uthappa moved from Karnataka to Kerala. Robin claimed that there was a meeting in Bengaluru where he was accused of creating divisions in the team.
“I told them if anyone thought I was breaking the team, they should raise their hand and I would quit immediately. Nobody raised a hand, but I knew then there was an organised attack because I had become the players’ voice,” he said.
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