"We Come In Again As Underdogs", Says MI's New Batting Coach Robin Uthappa

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. 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. 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 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. 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.

"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.

Uthappa later represented five other IPL franchises and won titles with Kolkata Knight Riders in 2014 and Chennai Super Kings in 2021. He retired with 4,952 runs from 205 IPL matches.

The former India batter said starting his coaching career with the franchise that gave him his first IPL opportunity felt like destiny.

"I am genuinely happy to be back. I'm thrilled and delighted to have this opportunity to work with this special group of cricketers and this franchise. It feels like destiny. I started my IPL playing career with Mumbai Indians and now I begin my IPL coaching career with Mumbai Indians as well."

Reflecting on the inaugural IPL season, Uthappa recalled learning he would be playing alongside his idol Sachin Tendulkar.

"Back in 2008, we were in Australia during the CB Series when the auction happened. I knew I would be playing alongside my hero, Sachin Tendulkar. That was an incredibly exciting feeling because everyone was still finding their feet, including the players, franchises and even the IPL itself.

"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."

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.

"We're a force to reckon with at home. I want to take that same emotion and energy to every venue away from home. My vision is to ensure teams feel the same sense of intimidation when we travel to their venues as they do when they come to Mumbai."

"I'm looking forward to being part of the journey of earning the fans' trust back and making sure this underdog story becomes one to remember."

Uthappa added that a key part of his role will involve mentoring domestic players and helping them develop clarity and confidence.

"The confidence to express yourself freely is something I want to empower domestic cricketers with. Clarity is one of the most important things young players need, clarity about what they want to achieve, how they want to achieve it and the process required to get there."

He said coaching becomes especially rewarding when a player's success feels personal.

"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."

"Communication is a huge part of the process, and those are conversations I'm genuinely looking forward to," he concluded.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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