Kuldeep Yadav will embark on his first tour to South Africa for the limited overs series which will commence from February 1, as India and South Africa play their first ODI in Durban.
Sportskeeda.com caught up with him before he left for South Africa and Kuldeep spoke about his fitness and goals to cement his place in Test team.
Speaking about his fitness, “I started working on my fitness in 2014 when I was with KKR (Kolkata Knight Riders) where I worked with Ethan. If you are fit, you can perform much better. I have seen that difference in myself in these last couple of years. I am hoping to get fitter in the years to come.”
He also thanked Australian chinaman bowler Brad Hogg for his tips and guidance during his stint with KKR. Kuldeep said, “He has helped me a lot. It’s very important to get proper guidance and I have got to learn a lot from his experience. He has played across the globe and he had wonderful insights to share with me. He taught me the nuances of googly, flipper, Chinaman et al. If you are turning the ball both ways and have copious variations, the batsmen are always guessing, and that’s what makes it difficult for them to read me.”
He also spoke about his spin twin Chahal and said, “We back each other to the hilt on the field. It is a pleasure bowling in tandem and snapping up wickets. I am very happy that he is my partner-in-crime, and we are doing a fine job for India.”
Talking about his Test game, he gave lots of credit to Virat Kohli for guiding him in Test cricket.
Kuldeep said, “I have played just two games and for me it’s a challenge to bowl to every batsman. If someone is on the rampage, the pressure starts mounting. It becomes important to stay calm and focus on your basics. A batsman who reads your mind and can anticipate your variations is the toughest to bowl to.”
He said about Kohli, “I am working on this. Virat (Kohli) bhaiya too has been guiding me on this. It’s the start of my career and I am putting my best foot forward. It will eventually happen. Perhaps, soon.”
Kuldeep also shared that he liked to ‘Netflix and chill’, loved to watch movies and follow football. He revealed that Brazilian footballer Neymar was his favorite player and he wants to meet him someday.
