Explosive Indian batsman Robin Uthappa says he is ready to light up the Twenty20 cricket World Championship with an array of shots, which he has specially innovated for the slam-bang version of the game.
The 22-year-old batsman, whose dazzling performance in England brought him into the spotlight, said the shots he played there were just a trailer and he would unveil a whole new range of hits in the Twenty20 World Cup.
"What you guys saw was just a few shots. There are another five or six that I haven't revealed as yet. There is a lot more to come," he said.
"It is a big opportunity for all of us. The fact that we haven't played a lot of domestic Twenty20 cricket means it's going to be a big challenge too," he added.
Uthappa said despite the hectic 80-day tour of UK, the Indians felt fresh for the World Twenty20 as the side had a lot of youngsters in its fold.
"We have a very young side, but it is very exciting to have a lot of fresh pairs of legs in the side. We have just finished a very long tour of England, but most of us are under 25-26, and are looking forward to this tournament," he explained.
Without the overwhelming presence of Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly, India's young guns will obviously come under the misroscope. Yet, instead of feeling the weight of expectations, Uthappa sees it as a challenge.
"We will at least get to see what life's going to be after they leave. It's fresh for all of us, this situation. This tournament, this whole set-up is mainly about the future of the country," he offered.
On his preferred batting position, Uthappa said he was prepared to bat at any slot.
"I have been more a floater in the side, as Rahul Dravid rightly said, batting wherever the team has required me to and whenever they have wanted me. I trust my ability to play in any position."
"Obviously, I won't change the way I play in this competition, but it is important first of all to play out the 20 overs. That's something I would like to aim for. The position doesn't really matter as long as you can serve the purpose of the team," he said.
For someone who was discarded after just one game, Uthappa admitted that the experience toughened him up.
"The first time I got dropped, it did hit me quite hard," he acknowledged. "I had one bad game and I was dropped. I just took it up as a challenge to make sure that I get back into the side and I contribute in a bigger way."
"I have been able to do that with some success. It is quite difficult to sit out, but you have to accept that. People like Dravid, Sachin and Sourav... it's no small task to slip into their big shoes.
"Even when you are sitting out, you have to learn; you have to improve. When you get an opportunity to play, you must let the people know that you can handle the responsibility," he said.
On the prospect of facing Shane Bond in India's expected second round clash against the New Zealand, Uthappa said he was hoping for a good performance.
"Not just him, there are lot of big bowlers who bowl at 140 kmph and upwards, which is good for us. As opening batsmen, we like the ball coming on to the bat because it's easier to score."
It is a challenge, but an exciting one. I will not be on the (mental) back foot or anything like that, that's for sure!" he quipped.
