Overview:
According to Uthappa, relentless work ethic and perseverance are vital to survive and progress at the top.
Ruturaj Gaikwad’s absence from India’s squad for the New Zealand series has put the spotlight on the selectors’ decision-making. Despite a recent hundred against South Africa, the CSK captain was overlooked, with Shreyas Iyer returning after recovering from an injury picked up on the Australia tour. Even with Iyer’s participation dependent on fitness clearance, the panel chose not to include Gaikwad as a backup, leading to a debate around selection strategy.
Robin Uthappa addressed Gaikwad’s absence from the squad, acknowledging how demanding the Indian setup can be. He noted that players are frequently pushed into survival mode and emphasised that resilience, optimism, and learning from setbacks are essential for long-term growth.
“Buddy, it’s really hard to deal with moments like this. You’re constantly trying to understand why things happened, and that process can drain you. In such situations, you almost have to search for silver linings to support yourself, even though it’s far from easy. Everything moves fast and feels overwhelming, yet you still need to train your mind to spot silver linings. One of the realities of Indian cricket is living in survival mode all the time. Breaking out of that space demands tremendous resilience, continuous self-talk, positive self-talk, and the mindset of someone who believes in silver linings,” Uthappa said on his YouTube channel.
The former India batter explained that the Indian setup leaves little room for comfort, particularly for players from outside the main cricketing centres. According to Uthappa, relentless work ethic and perseverance are vital to survive and progress at the top.
“You have to keep battling and not give in, particularly if you’re not from one of the traditionally powerful cricketing states like Mumbai, Delhi, or Punjab. For players outside those centres, the journey often means continuously motivating yourself and pushing harder to stay in contention,” he added.