Venkatapathy Raju also backed Kuldeep Yadav for the T20 World Cup 2021.
Former India spinner Venkatapathy Raju believes that the upcoming white-ball series in Sri Lanka is a great opportunity for Kuldeep Yadav given the slow tracks to make a comeback, saying the chinaman bowler is still a fantastic bowler and he just needs to bowl to his strengths.
Kuldeep enjoyed a great time on the international stage under MS Dhoni's guidance but his form tapered off with his retirement as he lost his place from the Test side and gets few opportunities in limited-overs cricket now as well. The spinner has often admitted how Dhoni made his life easy with his tactical inputs from behind the wickets, but in his absence, he doesn’t have that facility.
With Dhoni retired from international cricket, Raju said Kuldeep must find his own solution to get back to prime form while suggesting the bowler to be more confident with his bowling, and the Sri Lanka series is a good opportunity for him to prove himself.
The former Indian selector also believes that the Uttar Pradesh spinner can be a match-winner for India in the forthcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 on the dry and spin-friendly wickets in the UAE.
Raju told PTI on Friday (July 16): “Sri Lanka tracks will be slow, there will be some bite, so it is good for him (Kuldeep) to make a comeback. With IPL and T20 World Cup tracks in UAE likely to be dry and spin-friendly, Kuldeep can be a match-winner.”
He added, “But unfortunately, we all knew how captains had played a big role in Kuldeep growth. He has been always saying that he was very comfortable playing under (Mahendra Singh) Dhoni, but Dhoni is not going to be there for him till his career is over, so hopefully, he has to come with a solution.”
The 52-year-old advised Kuldeep, who has 170 international wickets across 91 games to his name, to bowl to his strengths that is hitting attacking lines.
The former spinner added, “He (Kuldeep) is still a very fantastic bowler. He is very young, so (when) you already have experience of playing international cricket…it is entirely up to him to concentrate and he has always been a wicket-taker, he has not been a defensive bowler.”
He also wants the spinner to make the most of the limited opportunities he will get in Sri Lanka to impress the selectors ahead of the T20 World Cup 2021.
Raju added, “He should bowl the way he knows and you get limited opportunities and luckily for him, this (Sri Lanka) tour has come up, and there won't be much pressure on him, he has to bowl the best he can because we all know he has got that variety. He (Kuldeep) is a young guy (and) he is a match-winner. So, I think he should be more confident and then let his cricket do the talking. He has to work hard for it, cricket is not easy and he also knows that.”
Backing Kuldeep to be part of India’s T20 World Cup squad, he said: “Kuldeep has a good habit when he picks a single wicket, he ends up taking two or three (wickets). So, I think he should also be a part of (T20 World Cup).”
Raju also said Ravindra Jadeja is the first-choice all-rounder for India for the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 to be played in UAE and Oman from October 17 to November 14.
He signed off by saying, “You already have Ravindra Jadeja, he has been playing brilliantly, Jadeja will be the first choice (as he is a) brilliant all-rounder – the ideal for T20s.”
(With PTI Inputs)