Robin Uthappa draws a compelling comparison between professional cricket and the corporate world he now works in as a coach. He explains, “It is an individual sport within a team sport, which is much like corporate life. You exist within the team, you have a role to play and you have to work with other people to achieve what is required for that role. But while you’re doing that, you also have somebody else waiting to take one of your spots if you don’t perform well enough.”, according to The National news.
He elaborates on this pressure, saying, “There’s an innate sense of insecurity that you operate within and you have one eye looking over your shoulder at all times.”
A Long IPL Journey and New Beginnings
Uthappa enjoyed a 15-year-long career in the Indian Premier League from 2008 to 2022, representing teams such as Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Pune Warriors India, Kolkata Knight Riders, Rajasthan Royals, and Chennai Super Kings.
Today, he channels his experience into his coaching platform, True, which focuses on high performance, leadership, and mental health coaching for men. Calling it deeply personal, he shares, “I perceive service as my purpose in life.”
In early 2023, he relocated with his family from Bengaluru to Dubai, continuing his journey beyond cricket.
Facing Mental Health Challenges
According to the National News, Uthappa has been candid about his personal struggles, including a difficult phase in 2009 during the IPL in South Africa when he experienced suicidal thoughts. Recalling that time, he says, “I said: ‘Can you guys come here for a few weeks because I feel like there’s something wrong,’” describing how he couldn’t fully understand what he was going through but knew he needed help.
After returning to India, he sought therapy on his mother’s advice. However, societal stigma made it difficult to openly discuss his mental health. “In India at the time, in fact in most places for men especially, it was still considered taboo… so I said ‘OK’, because I was just trying to get better,” he explains.
After a few months of counselling, he began to feel more empowered and questioned the need for secrecy: “Why shouldn’t I tell people about this?”
A Struggle with Identity and Purpose
Despite initial progress, Uthappa’s mental health declined again when he stopped therapy. He began losing his passion for cricket, describing the phase as a “topsy-turvy time.”
During this period, he felt trapped between two extreme choices. “I told her I had two options left: I could either end my life, or I could go to another part of the world where I could restart my life in a place nobody knew me,” he reveals. Even financial success offered no relief: “No amount of money made me feel better.”
Finding Joy Again
It was his then-friend, now wife, Goutham, who helped him find a new perspective. She encouraged him to take a step back and give himself time. Her advice was simple yet powerful: “Play the game not to make a comeback for the Indian team and not to compete with anybody, but just because you love it. After that, if you still want to give it up then do it.”, according to the National News.
Following this, Uthappa rediscovered his love for cricket, playing “from a place of pure joy,” which marked a turning point in both his career and personal life.
