IPL 2020: Pitches In UAE Would Offer Assistance To Spinners – Kuldeep Yadav
Sep 16, 2020 at 3:49 PM
Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) spinner Kuldeep Yadav has said that in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL), the spin bowlers will have an advantage because the UAE pitches favour them. But he also acknowledged that the pressure will also be on them because they have high expectations from the team.
Kuldeep Yadav has struggled in international cricket if his past one year performance is considered. He has been in and out of the playing XI in the white-ball format because of the competition of place in the team. Therefore, he takes the IPL 2020 as his challenge to prove his mettle. He said that he was focused to do well in the upcoming season.
“Experience always helps, pitches in UAE would offer assistance to spinners and if you have played here before then that would be an advantage for you. I feel that the conditions will be in favour of spinners but at the same time pressure will also be there because expectations will be high and people will want to see spinners doing well so I am trying to be focused and do well,” Kuldeep revealed.
Talking about the challenges of a tournament being played amid an ongoing pandemic, Kuldeep Yadav opines that it is challenging to play under new norms but the players need to follow the rules for the smooth running of the league.
“Playing IPL on the backdrop of COVID-19 is challenging but at the same time we need to follow all the protocols given by the local government because if you ignore it then it can hamper the tournament,” Kuldeep added.
It’s important to follow the guidelines: Kuldeep Yadav
The Uttar Pradesh-born cricketer is well aware that one persones irresponsibility could cost the whole tournament. So, he believes it’s important to follow the guidelines.
“Just because of one player’s mistake the whole IPL can be impacted or if any player of any franchise ends up testing positive for COVID-19, the mood of the team can be affected so it’s important to follow the guidelines.”
Kuldeep Yadav is positive about the team combinations this year but he doesn’t want to take other teams lightly. After proper training, he believes that they can also lift the title this year.
“Our team has a good combination but at the same time, you can’t really say that we are best because in IPL all teams are strong. The kind of combination we have and we also got the time of 25 days to prepare and as a result, we got a chance to gel with each other and I feel that if we play with the proper combination we can win the title,” Kuldeep Yadav said.
KKR has lifted the IPL trophy in 2012 and 2014 under the leadership of Gautam Gambhir. But since then, they have failed to grab hands on the coveted trophy. In IPL 2020, their first match is against Mumbai Indians on 23 September.