Robin Uthappa expects Sourav Ganguly to allow players to play two overseas leagues

Robin Uthappa expects Sourav Ganguly: The veteran Indian cricketer has expressed intentions of playing in overseas T20 leagues.

Veteran India batsman Robin Uthappa has become the latest senior cricketer to express his desire of playing in overseas T20 leagues. In a recent interview with BBC, Uthappa laid emphasis on learning and growing as a reason to play outside of India when not playing for the national team.

“Please let us go, honest to God. It does hurt when we’re not allowed to go and play. It would be so nice if we could go and play at least a couple of others because as a student of the game you want to learn and grow as much as you can,” Uthappa was quoted as saying by BBC.

It is worth mentioning that veteran batsman Suresh Raina had expressed a similar opinion during an Instagram live session with former all-rounder Irfan Pathan a couple of weeks ago.

Robin Uthappa expects Sourav Ganguly

Barring a few Indian women cricketers participating in T20 leagues in Australia and England and some players playing the Dhaka Premier League (50-over competition), BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) doesn’t allow its cricketers to play in overseas T20 leagues.

Uthappa, who has played 17 ODIs alongside current BCCI President Sourav Ganguly, pointed out his “progressive” nature having it in it to look into the matter.

“[Sourav] Ganguly is a very progressive thinking human being, someone who has always looked to take India to the next level. He actually laid the foundation for where India cricket is now. We’re hoping that he will look at this at some point,” Uthappa said.

Uthappa, 34, had last played for India during India’s tour of Zimbabwe in 2015. Having regularly played domestic cricket (for Karnataka, Saurashtra and Kerala) over the years, Uthappa would have been playing his first season for Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2020 had it not been for the COVID-19 pandemic.

Coming on the back of a six-year stint with Kolkata Knight Riders, Uthappa had scored 2,439 runs for them in 86 matches at an average of 30.49 and a strike rate of 136.26 including 16 half-centuries.