Robin Minz, aged 21, is an explosive batter who can bat anywhere from top to middle order and also keep the wickets.
Age: 21
State Side: Jharkhand
IPL Team: Gujarat Titans (GT)
IPL 2024 Auction Price: INR 3.6 crore
Role: Wicketkeeper batter
Batting Style: Right-handed batter
Bowling Style: Left-arm orthodox
Robin Minz, aged 21, is an explosive batter who can bat anywhere from top to middle order and also keep the wickets. Robin came into the limelight when he amassed 73* in 35 balls in a T20 tournament held in Odisha. His ability to thwack the ball hard, with a stable base, makes him an asset.
When on the song, Robin can clear any boundary with ease. It was one of the reasons why the teams went hard after him despite him not playing much competitive cricket in his career so far. Robin is also a safe wicketkeeper with an ever-improving technique.
Robin Minz – Left handed WK Batter From Jharkhand
Clean Striker of the ball, You should know how good a player is, If CSK and MI are on bidding war#iplauction2024 | pic.twitter.com/vjh569sMw4
— 🜲 (@balltampererrr) December 19, 2023
A versatile wicketkeeper is rare, making Robin one to watch out for next season. Gujarat Titans acquired him for a whopping 3.6 crores. They are known to nurture talent, and Robin Minz will look to learn as much as possible from the support staff.
Birthday: September 13, 2002
Birthplace: Gumla, Jharkhand
Father: Francis Xavier Minz
Siblings: 2 sisters
Religion: Christian
Spouse: Not married yet
Robin Minz was born in a tribal family in Gumla, Jharkhand. His father, Francis Xavier Minz, is a retired army personnel working as a guard at Ranchi airport currently. Robin’s father was always interested in sports, paving the way for him to make a career out of sports.
Minz gave up studies after clearing the 10th standard. He boldly decided to focus more on cricket and give his everything to become a successful cricketer.
Robin’s mother, Elis Minz, is a homemaker. He also has two sisters. Robin is coached by Chanchal Bhattacharya, who had also guided MS Dhoni during his initial years.
Chanchal was impressed with Robin’s game and took him under his watchful eyes, helping Robin take giant strides in his cricketing journey. Chanchal had also compared him with MS Dhoni, saying both have certain similarities in their games, as both hit the ball hard and love to find the ropes consistently. His guidance has played a massive role in making Robin Minz become the first tribal player to make it to the IPL level.
As surprising as it might sound, Robin Minz has yet to make a domestic debut for his state side, Jharkhand. He hasn’t played any match for his state side in any format as of now. However, Robin has been part of Jharkhand’s U-19 and U-25 sides, where he impressed everyone with his supreme expertise.
Minz was also part of the zonal U-19s squad and hit three centuries, according to his coach Chanchal. It is just a matter of time before Robin makes it to the domestic tournaments. He has impressed in every age-group tournament, showing his immense talent.
This is Robin Minz, the Jharkhand wicket-keeper batter who went to #GT at 3.6 crores! #IPLAuction #iplauction2024 pic.twitter.com/NMgXVzgJKq
— Mohsin Kamal (@64MohsinKamal) December 19, 2023
Despite no career records to show, the IPL teams lured after him because of his rare and eye-catching talent. Robin attended the trials of several IPL franchises and was sent to the United Kingdom (UK) by Mumbai Indians (MI), who identified his talent. Since then, Robin has grown leaps and bounds as a player.
“A left-handed Kieron Pollard,” described Robin Uthappa for Robin Minz.
“He had been playing with us at Sonnet for a couple of years. He was always a natural, aggressive hitter of the ball. He isn’t Dhoni yet, but when Dhoni first came to me, we saw that even if he scored just 10 runs, he would hit a six. Robin is the same. They are identical in that respect. Robin is what we call a hard-hitter,” said Chanchal Bhattacharya.
“If no one picks him, we will,” said MS Dhoni to Robin Minz’s father before the auction.
Gujarat Titans (GT) needed a couple of wicketkeepers in their squad in the IPL 2024 auction. They must have tested Robin Minz’s talent and acquired his services. GT have Wriddhiman Saha and Matthew Wade as wicketkeepers apart from Robin Minz.
While Robin might not start, he will get to play at some stage. Saha is 39, and lack of genuine match practice might haunt him in a quality tournament like the Indian Premier League. If he doesn’t perform well, Robin might come in.
Robin’s ability to bat at different positions will also help GT make their team more versatile and all-rounded. Being a left-handed batter provides a different dimension to the team as well. It won’t be a surprise if Robin features in the team at some point.
A hard-hitting batter who can exploit the powerplay overs will help Shubman Gill as well. A lot will depend on how Robin Minz bats in the nets. Expect him to get a go if Wriddhiman Saha fails for a prolonged period of time.
For more updates, follow CricXtasy on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
