Playing a sport at the highest level not only requires an athlete to stay physically fit but also to be tough on the inside. The mental health of athletes is not often spoken about, but former India cricketer Robin Uthappa has always been vocal about his journey through depression.
Uthappa feels one of the reasons for him to spiral down into depression was when Indian Premier League side Mumbai Indians decided to let him go on a trade right before the start of the second season.
“That was indeed a difficult phase for me. Cricket back then was mostly national and international cricket. Professionalism was there but it was nation-based. So, loyalty is a big part of that. I think me, Manish Pandey and Zaheer Khan were the first ones to be traded in IPL. And that didn’t go down easy with me. I was already dealing with a lot of personal issues at that point in time and I didn’t want that trade to happen because my loyalty was completely with Mumbai Indians at that time,” Uthappa said in Sportstar’s Wednesdays with W.V.Raman show.
“In fact, I refused to sign the papers. And the person in-charge there said, “If you don’t sign these trade papers, the only way you get into the Playing 11 is over my dead body.’ And that impacted me in a deep manner,” he added.
Uthappa also revealed that his mental health took a toll on his performances for Royal Challengers Bangalore in his first season with the club.
“It took me an entire season to shift loyalties. Even though I was returning ‘home’ essentially to RCB (Royal Challengers Bangalore), it wasn’t easy for me. And it catapulted me into clinical depression. The first two years at RCB, although I loved playing there, were tragic,” he said.
“But they were very forthcoming. Ray Jennings was an extraordinary coach; he took care of me as if I were his son. But that part about being loyal to Mumbai Indians made me stay conflicted throughout the season. It took me a while to accommodate, and when the trade happened the next time (RCB to Pune Warriors), it didn’t hit me that hard,” added the 39-year-old.
“Mental health is not a short-term kind of format where you deal with it in the moment. It’s a long-term thing, it’s a marathon; it’s not a sprint. You have to understand that you have to invest time and energy into it,” Uthappa said.
“Some people take six months, some people take more. It’s a process, not a destination. It’s a journey, and you’ll get there eventually,” he added.
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