"It was a pleasure playing alongside you"- Virat Kohli's heartfelt message following Robin Uthappa's retirement

Kohli shake hands with Uthappa during an IPL game. — Virat Kohli catches up with Robin Uthappa after an IPL game.

With a trophy cabinet that anyone would be proud of, flamboyant Indian batter Robin Uthappa announced his retirement from all forms of cricket earlier on Wednesday (September 14).

A T20 World Cup winner for India in 2007, he became a household name during the late 2000s when his unorthodox strokeplay brought him to the limelight.

Following the announcement of his retirement, Twitter was flooded with former Indian cricketers congratulating him on a wonderful career and wishing him a blissful life after cricket.

Former Indian skipper Virat Kohli spent considerable time with him in India and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) colors. He shared a heartfelt message for his former teammate.

Responding to Uthappa’s retirement note on Instagram, Kohli wrote:

“Well done robbie. Nothing but love and blessings your way. You can be super proud and it was a pleasure playing alongside you. All the best brother.”

Uthappa has been granted a No Objection Certificate by the Kerala Cricket Association, which makes him eligible to ply his trade in overseas T20 leagues.

Kerala was the last state he played for on the domestic circuit, having started off his journey with Karnataka.

Robin Uthappa's evolution into a top-level batter

Uthappa, who came through the U19 World Cup team way back in 2004, made his way into the senior team in 2006.

He had a dream ODI debut against England, scoring a stroke-filled 86 at Indore. The following year, he was part of the T20 World Cup winning team.

He didn’t score a truckload of runs in the tournament, but his brief cameos were crucial in the context of team balance. He was also one of the bowlers to hit the bullseye in the eventful bowl-out against Pakistan.

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His big break came in the Indian Premier League (IPL) while plying his trade for the Kolkata Knight Riders. He spent six seasons with the two-time champions, winning the tournament with them in 2014. He won the Orange Cap that season as well.

After KKR released him in 2020, he was bought by CSK and won the IPL trophy with them the very next year (2021).