Robin Uthappa will have pleasant memories of his recent outings at the Eden Gardens for the IPL side which is based here. The 29-year-old had sunk into oblivion before he re-emerged in the seventh edition of the IPL with 660 runs in 16 matches, while playing for the Kolkata Knight Riders. The performance helped him return to the One-day International fold after six years when he was picked for the three-match series in Bangladesh in June.

Frontline players opted out and a ‘reserve’ team was sent. Uthappa started off well, scoring a half-century in the first match. But he couldn’t keep the momentum going, getting out for 14 and five in the next two fixtures.

Uthappa got another opportunity when he toured Australia in July for the ‘A’ team tour but didn’t score too many. He was ignored for the limited-overs leg in England. The selectors picked Sanju Samson instead as a wicket-keeper/batsman option.

India have already taken an unassailable 3-0 lead in the ongoing series against Sri Lanka and an experimental squad has been named for the dead rubbers in Kolkata and Ranchi. Uthappa has one more opportunity if he gets to play. He loves to open. But with Rohit Sharma back in the team and Ajinkya Rahane settling in as an opener, Uthappa might have to bat down the order if he’s included in the playing XI. But will he be able to adjust?

“He’s a type of player who can play at any number. He has the temperament. Remember, he batted in the middle-order in the tri-series in Australia and was instrumental in India’s success,” Uthappa’s personal coach Pravin Amre said while speaking to The Indian Express. That was 2008 then. Six years down the line, he’s starting from the scratch again.

“It’s not just the IPL. He has been batting well for the last two years. He was the second highest run-getter (210 in five matches) among the Indians in this year’s Champions League T20. This opportunity is well earned,” said Amre.

It has been a process for Uthappa ever since he sought Amre’s help two years ago. “It was not easy. He was 27 years old when he came to me. Naturally, he was attuned to a certain pattern of batting, which he had been following for so many years. To break down his whole game was not easy. But importantly, he was ready to accept failures while going through the process. We worked on everything – from stance to the way he holds the bat and how he can play with complete freedom. Credit goes to him, for he did the hard work,” Amre explained.

Chances have come sporadically to Uthappa in the recent years — nothing more than an odd T20 international (his last was at Johannesburg in 2012 and a few ODIs. This is because India have a very settled limited-overs squad and there’s not much room for experiment. But with an eye on the World Cup, selectors are now looking for options.

“World Cup is still a few months away. We’ve a tri-series in Australia before that. I believe Uthappa would be in contention. He’s batting well and is enjoying a good mental state. He can ‘keep’ as well.

Overall he’s a good package. Make no mistake, Uthappa is a match-winner which he has proved time and again for Kolkata Knight Riders. A couple of good performances for India and you never know. He knows the Australian conditions well.”

So these two dead rubbers become very important for Uthappa. But Amre offers a word of caution. “He shouldn’t think that these two matches are his only opportunities. That would be putting pressure on himself. Maybe he will get only one game and he should be prepared for that. He will perform if he stays relaxed and plays his natural game.”