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I started questioning myself, focused on what others are saying: Kuldeep Yadav
In the last six months, Kuldeep Yadav has played only one Test and two ODIs. He was downgraded in BCCI’s annual contract and couldn’t find a place in playing XI for Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL. It has been the toughest past six months for India’s 26-year-old spinner and the future is uncertain as he has not been selected for the England tour. It’s been said he needs to bowl with more fizz and pace, and some critics have argued for the exact opposite that he needs to bowl slower.
In a chat with The Indian Express, Yadav spoke about where things went wrong with his bowling, how he was depressed when he wasn’t played in the IPL, and why he does miss MS Dhoni sometimes. Yadav asked whether the last 12 months were the toughest in his career, commented, "It didn't go well. I didn't play as many matches as I expected to, and somewhere I was low on confidence. When you are playing non-stop, players do feel high on confidence. The more one sits out the more it gets tougher. I felt a huge pressure on myself when I played the Test against England in Chennai this February (his last Test was in January 2019). Due to Covid, nothing was happening, so things got really tougher even more last year. It wasn't the best period." Yadav also remembered M.S. Dhoni stating, “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. 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.
When Mahibhai was there, I and Chahal were playing. Ever since Mahibhai left, Chahal and I haven’t played together. I played only a handful of games after Mahibhai left. 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. One has to also look at the opposition we are playing against.”
