IPL 7: Indian selectors reward both KKR openers for their good show

Zee Media Bureau/Chaitan Papnai New Delhi: Indian selectors rewarded Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Gautam Gambhir and wicket-keeper Robin Uthappa on Sunday while selecting teams for the forthcoming tours of Bangladesh and England. If Gambhir has been recalled in the Test fold for the all-important England tour, where India have to play five Test matches, then Uthappa has been given a chance to make a comeback in the ODIs after a long time, against Bangladesh in a three-match ODI series at Mirpur. The Delhi opener have performed decently in the domestic league this season with 578 runs at an average of 48.16, but his form took a beating in the initial matches of the on-going IPL 7, when he scored a hat-trick of ducks. But the 32-year-old bounced back strongly and smashed three consecutive fifties later, to lead his side from the front. On the other hand, Robin Uthappa too, performed well with the bat in the domestic league and then carry forward his sublime form in the IPL 7. In fact, since he has been picked to open the innings for KKR, his consistency has been the key for success for his side. In the 15 matches that he has played this season, he scored 655 runs and is current orange cap holder as well. His purple patch in this IPL has certainly made him an easy choice for the selectors to pick among the host of other cricketers waiting in the wing. Both the KKR openers have played a major role in the helping their franchise to reach the final of the seventh edition of the League. Now it would be interesting to see whether they can prove the selectors right by proving their mettle while playing in Indian colours.