It’s been one full cycle, and we’re back to where we started, which is nice,” Uthappa said in a video released by the franchise. Uthappa was named Mumbai Indians’ batting coach on Friday and will join the backroom staff led by Kieron Pollard. “And today, we find ourselves back in a similar situation where the trust of the fans needs to be earned again.
We come in as underdogs.
Mumbai Indians will head into the next IPL season as underdogs who must win back the trust of their fans, according to the franchise’s newly appointed batting coach Robin Uthappa.
Mumbai Indians will go into the next IPL season as underdogs who must win back the trust of their fans, said the franchise’s newly appointed batting coach Robin Uthappa.
“We had a decent season, although it could have been better. We had injuries, Sachin missed a large part of the tournament, Harbhajan Singh captained the side, while Sanath Jayasuriya and Shaun Pollock played important roles. “You’re emotionally invested in their journey and you genuinely want them to succeed. When one of the players I had been mentoring was selected for the Indian Test team, it felt like I had been selected myself. That’s the kind of connection I’m looking forward to building, especially with domestic players.”
Uthappa was part of Mumbai Indians’ squad in the inaugural IPL season in 2008, scoring 320 runs in 14 matches at an average of 35.55 and a strike rate of 114.69.
“I would have loved to have been part of the playing journey for longer, but I’ve seen Mumbai go from earning the trust and faith of the fans to becoming champions, winning consistently and becoming one of the most successful franchises in the world from a results perspective,” he said. Looking ahead, Uthappa said one of his goals is to make Mumbai Indians as formidable away from home as they are at the Wankhede Stadium. He said coaching becomes especially rewarding when a player’s success feels personal.
Since then, he has witnessed the franchise’s transformation from a team finding its identity into one of the most successful sides in the tournament’s history, with five IPL titles.
