Karnataka cricketers, who have been picked in India and India A squads, want to make the most of the opportunity that came their way in their respective upcoming rubbers.
As many as seven players from Karnataka were selected in India's ODI squad for the tour of Zimbabwe and India A team's series against Australia A at home.
While Robin Uthappa, Manish Pandey and Stuart Binny have made it to the 15-member Zimbabwe-bound India squad to be led by Ajinkya Rahane, Lokesh Rahul, Karun Nai, Shreyas Gopal and Abimanyu Mithun have made the India A cut.
The team that won the Ranji Trophy, the Irani Cup and the 50-over Vijay Hazare Trophy in 2013-14, and replicated that unprecedented hat-trick last season, has justified its success by the representation of its players in the recently picked squads.
Uthappa, who fell off the selectors' radar after a poor India A tour to Australia last year, said he wants to make the most of this opportunity which came his way after a long time.
"It has been a long time coming, I have been performing consistently in domestic cricket for a long while. It is a decent opportunity that has come my way and I want to make the most of it. I have understood what works for me as a batsman and as a cricketer, and I want to stay true to that," he said.
Uthappa, who played the final two ODIs at home against Sri Lanka last November, is happy to see his state mates picked in the senior and junior sides.
"We have won six trophies in the last two years, we used to have just one or two representing the country. I am really happy that so many of us have made it this time, both to the national team and to the A team," he said.
