Kuldeep Yadav Admits Of Missing MS Dhoni Behind The Stumps

May 13, 2021 at 12:50 PM

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Kuldeep Yadav Admits Of Missing MS Dhoni Behind The Stumps

Kuldeep Yadav admitted that he misses the guidance of former India captain MS Dhoni. There was a time when the spin duo of Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal made for the two first-choice spinners for India.

Both spinners had a knack of picking up wickets in tandem, and the pair of Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav would even often pip Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin to be in the playing XI in limited-overs cricket.

Yuzvendra Chahal (left) and Kuldeep Yadav have been India's premier spin pairing for the last two years. | Ron Gaunt / BCCI / SPORTZPICS
Yuzvendra Chahal (left) and Kuldeep Yadav have been India’s premier spin pairing for the last two years. | Ron Gaunt / BCCI / SPORTZPICS

Kuldeep Yadav Miss Guidance Of MS Dhoni Behind The Wicket

But things have changed since last year. The wrist spin duo has struggled and their performances have dipped. The two India spinners often find themselves out of the playing XI.
In fact, Kuldeep Yadav, who had an insipid series against England at home earlier this year, was not picked in the squad for the England tour which includes the WTC Final. Once a vital member of both India and KKR’s attack, the chinaman spin bowler has struggled recently and he is not even a regular in the playing XI.
In a recent interview, Kuldeep Yadav admitted that he misses the guidance of former India skipper MS Dhoni. The former wicketkeeper-batsman was an integral reason behind the success of ‘Kul-Cha’. MS Dhoni was often seen suggesting bowling plans to the pair from behind the stumps, and he would often back them when chips were down.
Kuldeep Yadav
Kuldeep Yadav Photo Credit: AP

“Sometimes I miss that guidance because he (Mahi) has a great experience. He used to guide us behind the wicket, kept screaming! We miss his experience,” Kuldeep said in an interview with Indian Express.

The chinaman spinner didn’t perform up to expectations for India as well having picked only 6 wickets in 2020 bowling 50 overs in ODIs averaging above 50. He hasn’t picked up a wicket in 2021 in ODIs despite bowling 19 overs.

Kuldeep Yadav Said Ever Since MS Dhoni Left, He Played Only A Handful Of Games

Last season, Kuldeep Yadav returned with just one wicket in five IPL 2020 matches at UAE, of which he was not given the ball in one. Kuldeep Yadav was also a member of the Indian squads in the recent series against Australia and England. But he featured in only one ODI in Australia and one Test and two ODIs against England without any noteworthy performances.

“Rishabh is there now, the more he plays, the more input he will give in the future. I always felt every bowler needs a partner who can respond from the other end,” Kuldeep added.

Kuldeep Yadav (left) and MS Dhoni | Deepak Malik/SPORTZPICS
Kuldeep Yadav (left) and MS Dhoni | Deepak Malik/SPORTZPICS

“When Mahi was there, I and Chahal were playing. Ever since Mahi left, Chahal and I haven’t played together. I played only a handful of games after Mahi left,” he further said.

“I must have played ten-odd games. I had even taken a hat-trick. If you look at the performance as a whole, it will look pretty decent but if one breaks it up then my performance sometimes can look not up to the mark,” he signed off.

In the first ODI against England, Kuldeep Yadav was hit for 68 runs in 9 overs. In the 2nd ODI, he was hammered for 84 runs in 10 overs. He had a tough last few years in international cricket. His figures in the England ODI series read 0-152 in 19 overs. The chinaman spinner has only played 7 ODIs from January 2020 for India.

He played only one out of the 4 Tests against England but did not get a place in the squad for the T20I series. The 26-year-old chinaman spinner finally played the 2nd Test against England after the one against Australia in January 2019.  He debuted in all three formats in 2017 but has only played 7 Tests, 61 ODIs, and 21 T20Is.

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