India's left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav caught eyes for being a chinaman, but he went on to grow as a successful bowler for India. Despite having a rough time in last few apperances for India, Kuldeep has won the trust of his skipper, Virat Kohli.
He has been a major contributor to India after the ICC Champions Trophy 2017. The pair 'KulCha' which includes his buddy Yuzvendra Chahal is considered deadly for the opposition, although the pair haven't appeared together too often lately.
ALSO READ: "We can organise the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy before IPL 2020": Kuldeep Yadav
Talking about delivering under pressure, the 25-year-old admitted captain Kohli has been a major inspiration. Kuldeep also didn't forget to acknowledge the faith his skipper shows in him which boosts confidence.
"If your captain believes in you, giving your best on the field becomes easy. From Virat, we learn a lot of things like how to manage difficult situations. He never fails to motivate young players. I remember when I was new in the team he backed me a lot. In fact, now also, he is always there for me. He always appreciates your skills and we have a great tuning together. The best quality of Virat is that he also understands the team and its player's well which makes our job easy on field," he said.
Cricketers used the time of COVID-19 pandemic to be with their families. With lockdown all over the country for around two months, Kuldeep utilized this time to rest his body.
"Lockdown must be difficult for a lot of people, but I got a lot of time to rest, and my body recovered from the injuries. I spent a good amount of time with my family but at the same time, it's been a challenge maintaining peak fitness. It was difficult in the start, but slowly things fell in place.
"I made a proper schedule for myself and I am sticking to it. I was continuously in touch with the BCCI trainers, which made the whole process easier. I wasn't depressed nor was the lockdown difficult for me. I am a foodie and the only issue I had was to follow a strict diet as the workout was not as intense as it used to be. Hence following a diet was of utmost importance. Sometimes I did rest, and cheat on my diet but I tried my best to stick to the routine," he added.
But the real challenge is going to get back to the previous schedule. "For sure we will need time to get back to the routine. It's like if you take a break for 4-5 months and then jump into it again it becomes complicated. It will be difficult for batsmen, spinners, fast bowlers — basically for everyone. But at the same time if you are doing your regular drills at home, and if your focus is maintained then it will be easier for you to get back to your form quickly," he said.
ICC has ruled out the use of saliva to shine the cricket balls. Kuldeep opined it will be difficult to adjust with new rules as they have a habit of using saliva since a kid.
"Definitely, after the pandemic is over and you step on the field, there will be a little scare. There is a lot of debate going on right now in terms of using saliva on the ball or not to use it. Yes, it's going to be very difficult as since kids we are used to applying saliva on the ball to make it shine. Now playing with the new rules will be tricky for sure. As it's a habit for us, it will require a lot of control and a lot of practice. Let us just leave it to the experts. As a cricketer I am less scared and more excited about going on the field and playing," he said.
The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) spinner is eager for the return of the Indian Premier League (IPL). "Of course I am very excited. I have heard that the IPL may happen this year as the T20 World Cup may get pushed. I am all set and very excited for IPL because I will get to play after a long break. IPL is a tough tournament and if it happens this year I will give my best. IPL will also give us confidence for the forthcoming Australia series. So yes, I am all excited and I am looking forward to it," he said.
(WITH IANS INPUTS)
