Overview
- Uthappa told the First Umpire podcast that in 2016–17 he said Test caps were being handed out too easily while he pushed for selection.
- He claims a Karnataka teammate showed Karun Nair a snippet implying the remark targeted him, after which Nair alienated him.
- Uthappa says coverage from Bombay outlets framed the interview as if it was about Nair, which deepened dressing-room tensions.
- He recalls a Bengaluru meeting where he was accused of creating divisions and says he offered to quit if any teammate agreed.
- He left after 99 first-class games for Karnataka, later totaling 142 in his career, playing nearly 60 limited-overs matches for India without a Test cap.