Kuldeep Yadav banking on IPL performance to cement place in India’s T20 World Cup squad

Not a sure shot starter anymore, spinner Kuldeep Yadav is seeking to cement his place in India’s T20 World Cup team with a sensational IPL.

Only a year ago, he was looked upon as India’s best spin bowling option in overseas conditions, but a slump in form led to him losing that status.

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“I don’t feel anything went wrong. It depends on combination. In New Zealand the wickets were quite different, you might have seen that there were no spin tracks in Tests. Moreover, it was not a long Test series as well,” Kuldeep told PTI on Thursday.

“(Coach) Ravi bhai (Shastri) backs me a lot. He is open to everything. Whatever cricket I played till date, he backed me a lot. It was a team decision keeping in mind the conditions.”

Kuldeep last played a Test in January 2018 against Australia in Sydney, while his last T20 match was against Sri Lanka in January this year.

He featured in only one of the three ODIs in the New Zealand series which India lost 0-3.

He is now eyeing the IPL, starting March 29, to make a strong statement and return to the India fold.

“IPL is such a platform which changes every year. You need to be active every time and adapt to the changes. I am right now fully prepared for IPL.

“I got plenty of time to plan also. IPL is very important (for making a comeback in Indian team),” he said on the sidelines of the fourth Times of India Sports Awards (TOISA) here.

The T20 World Cup will be held in Australia from October 18 to November 15.

“Every player wants to play more because the more you play, the more you improve. IPL is such a platform where you get to play regularly over the course of one and half months and it will in turn result in performance.”

Kuldeep said tough times are a part and parcel of every sportsperson’s life, adding that a player needs backing in such situations.

“Cricket is not about one day. Every player goes through rough patch. Good and bad times come in everyone’s life, but a player needs backing in the bad days,” he said.

Kuldeep hoped he will make the Australia-bound team alongside spin colleague Yuzvendra Chahal.

“(Ravindra) Jadeja is putting in very good performances, in batting, fielding and bowling. So, the combination has become more strong with his arrival,” he said.

“We have a very strong team and we will definitely give our best effort. It depends on the management whether we play together or not. Combination matters a lot.

“We love bowling in tandem and there is no doubt about it. It will definitely be great for us if we get to play together in T20 World Cup.”

Kuldeep said he definitely misses Mahendra Singh Dhoni behind the stumps even though Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul are doing good.

“Mahi bhai (Dhoni) is such an experienced player, he has given the Indian team a lot. Whenever an experienced player is not playing then you tend to lack somewhere and miss him,” the 25-year-old said.

“Having said that, they (Pant and Rahul) are still youngsters now but have been doing very well. Both are keeping well, so it is not making such difference, but you miss Mahi bhai’s presence.”

Kuldeep also congratulated the Harmanpreet Kaur-led Indian team after it entered the final of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in Australia.

“It’s wonderful news. They played the tri-series against England and Australia very well. They won all the four group matches in the World Cup and that too by huge margins.

“So they definitely deserve to be in the final. My best wishes are with them. Hopefully, we will return with the Cup,” he signed off.