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Robin Singh: 9 facts about the brilliant fielder

Born September 14, 1963, Robin Singh is a former Indian cricketer was widely recognised for his dedication and commitment on the field.

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Born September 14, 1963, Robin Singh is a former Indian cricketer was widely recognised for his dedication and commitment on the field. He was a decent all-rounder and was livewire when it came to fielding. On his 54th birthday, Suraj Choudhari lists down nine engaging facts about India’s One-Day International (ODI) specialist. ALSO READ: A saga of athleticism and commitment

1.  Caribbean connection: Robin was born in Princes Town in Trinidad and Tobago and later moved to Chennai to pursue a career in cricket.

2.  Genuine all-rounder: Robin was a genuine all-rounder, who could score runs at a brisk pace lower down the order and bowl right-arm medium pace. He was a valuable cricketer and very effective in the shorter formats of the game.

3.  Not exactly a Test cricketer: Robin didn’t have the requisite ingredients to stand out against the red ball. He played the only Test against Zimbabwe at Harare in October 1998 but was axed from the side after a dismal performance. This proved out to be his last Test as he never managed to make a comeback in the whites.

4.  Domestic performance made his path: After being sacked from the ODI side after playing couple of games, Robin went back to domestic circuit and impressed with his all-round performances. Eventually, he sculpted a spot in the ODI side and was a regular since then.

5.  Seven long years after debut : Robin made his ODI debut against West Indies at Port of Spain in October 1989 but played just two games before being dropped. He had to drill for seven long years before his hard work paid off and he was recalled in 1996 Titan Cup against Australia. He then became a core part of India’s limited-overs side.

6.  Coaching career: In 2004, Robin Singh coached the Hong Kong national cricket and his services proved effective as they successfully made it to the Asia Cup. Few years later, he got associated with the Indian national side and served them as a fielding coach for a brief period from 2007 to 2009. Previous to his stint with Team India, he also served as the coach of the India A side.

7.  IPL: Robin was appointed as the head coach of Deccan Chargers (DC) in the inaugural season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Later, the Mumbai Indians (MI) roped him in as the coach. Currently, he serves the side as their batting coach. MI are the most successful team in the IPL with 3 titles.

8.  Robin Singh Foundation: Robin was a dedicated cricket follower and he expressed his love for the same when he tagged up with Arun Kumar Layam and founded Robin Singh Cricket Foundation in New Jersey. His vision was to spread the gentlemen’s game in associated nations.

9.  Company: Robin is the owner of a real estate company named Robin Associates. He was quoted in a report from ESPNCricinfo (in 2004) as saying, “Coaching is one of the things for the future. I’ve also started a company, called Robin Associates that is into property development and housing for the general public. That keeps me really busy. And there’s always coaching, so my hands are full. Actually, I’m more busy now than ever.”

(Suraj Choudhari, an avid cricket follower who plays the sport at club level, is a staffer with Criclife)

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