Although many coaches have done their bit in developing Kuldeep Yadav as a potent spinner, India’s legendary wicketkeeper MS Dhoni has also played his part in the left-arm chinaman’s progress.
Dhoni has been often spotted guiding Kuldeep from behind the stumps and the cricket fraternity has witnessed the duo plotting the dismissal of some of world’s top batsmen.
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Speaking to TOI, Kuldeep on Tuesday (June 16) revealed how different it is to bowl with not having Dhoni as a glovesman.
Notably, Dhoni has been out of competitive cricket after India’s World Cup 2019 campaign.
“Of course. Mahi bhai has always guided me, because the wicketkeeper is always the best judge of the bowler. Someone like Mahi bhai is experienced and has an idea about how a batsman plays. All of this is teamwork. Just because Mahi bhai hasn’t played after the World Cup, I don’t need to prove anything to anyone. I don’t need to say if I was dependent on him. I can just work towards bettering my craft and as I said, it’s teamwork,” the wrist-spinner said.
After the last year’s ODI World Cup, Team India don’t field the wrist-spinning duo of Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal together in white-ball cricket.
Kuldeep and Chahal boast an impressive record while playing together in ODIs and T20Is. While the duo has claimed 65 wickets at an average of 22.73 in 34 ODIs, they have taken 22 wickets from 10 T20Is.
“Wrist spin is not that easy. Chahal and I have bonded well for years. After the World Cup we haven’t played together because it depends on the selection and team combination. You’ve got to be flexible with the team’s requirements,” Kuldeep stated.
In wake of the Coronavirus outbreak, ICC has banned the traditional practice of using saliva to maintain the shine of the ball.
Sharing his two cents on the same, Kuldeep said: “It will be difficult for every bowling unit. It will affect both fast bowlers and spinners because when you get a good shine on the ball, as a spinner it helps you get drift in the air. Not using saliva will be challenging because we have been using it since childhood. It is an instinctive reaction when you get the ball in your hand. Changing that habit will be a challenge.”
