While IPL 2020 is coming near, the 25-year-old Kuldeep Yadav is looking forward to performing well in this tournament. The left-arm chinaman is eyeing to return to the national team and play in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2020.
Kuldeep Yadav made his international cricket debut in 2017, and he impressed with his consistent bowling performances in the early stage of his international career. In quick time, Kuldeep became India’s fastest spinner to complete 50 and 100 ODI wickets. The world cricket praised him hugely for his impressive performances in the early international career.
Even in early 2019, Indian Head Coach Ravi Shastri claimed that Kuldeep was going to be their main overseas spinner.
But Kuldeep hugely struggled in 2019, both in IPL and international cricket. His continuous weak performances resulted in his removal from the limited-overs playing XI. Since then, he has got a few more chances, and he is trying hard to make a comeback strongly. However, he has made only a few positive impacts in this period, including an ODI hat-trick against West Indies at Visakhapatnam in last December.
In the recently concluded New Zealand tour, while he was in the entire limited-overs squads, Kuldeep played only one ODI at Hamilton, and he had the bowling figures of 10-0-84-2. However, Kuldeep understands that the team had to go with the combinations that favour according to the condition. He is happy that the coach backs him a lot.
Kuldeep said according to PTI, “I don’t feel anything went wrong. It depends on the combination. In New Zealand the wickets were quite different, you might have seen that there were no spin tracks in Tests. Moreover, it was not a long Test series as well.
“(Coach) Ravi bhai (Shastri) backs me a lot. He is open to everything. Whatever cricket I played till date, he backed me a lot. It was a team decision keeping in mind the conditions.”
I am right now fully prepared for IPL: Kuldeep Yadav
In the last IPL season, Kuldeep only managed to pick up four wickets in nine games for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). However, he believes that IPL changes every year, and he is looking forward to giving his best in this upcoming season. He feels that IPL is very important for a player to making a comeback in the national team.
Kuldeep added, “IPL is such a platform which changes every year. You need to be active every time and adapt to the changes. I am right now fully prepared for IPL.
“I got plenty of time to plan also. IPL is very important (for making a comeback in Indian team).
“Every player wants to play more because the more you play, the more you improve. IPL is such a platform where you get to play regularly over the course of one and a half months and it will, in turn, result in performance.”
We have a very strong Indian team and we will definitely give our best effort
While the in-form all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja is taking a spin-bowling spot in the Indian team, especially the position of the left-arm spinner, Kuldeep appreciates the present strong squad of the national team. However, he wishes to play in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2020 along with the leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal. Australia will host the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2020 from 18th October to 15th November 2020.
Kuldeep claimed, “(Ravindra) Jadeja is putting in very good performances, in batting, fielding and bowling. So, the combination has become more strong with his arrival.
“We have a very strong team and we will definitely give our best effort. It depends on the management whether we play together or not. Combination matters a lot.
“We love bowling in tandem and there is no doubt about it. It will definitely be great for us if we get to play together in the T20 World Cup.”
Mahi bhai has given the Indian team a lot
Admitting that Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul are doing great jobs as the wicketkeepers, Kuldeep still misses the experienced wicketkeeper MS Dhoni.
Kuldeep said, “Mahi bhai (Dhoni) is such an experienced player, he has given the Indian team a lot. Whenever an experienced player is not playing then you tend to lack somewhere and miss him.
“Having said that, they (Pant and Rahul) are still youngsters now but have been doing very well. Both are keeping well, so it is not making much difference, but you miss Mahi bhai’s presence.”
IPL 2020 will run between 29th March and 24th May 2020.