Kuldeep would have at least picked 30 wickets if he played all games against England, opines Kapil Pandey

Kuldeep would have at least picked 30 wickets if he played all games against England, opines Kapil Pandey

no photo

Kapil Pandey opined that Kuldeep would have picked 30 wickets

|

BCCI

Kuldeep Yadav’s childhood coach Kapil Pandey has admitted that if Kuldeep was given a chance to play against England in the four-match Test series, he would have taken at least 30 wickets. Pandey is hopeful of Kuldeep making a resounding comeback in the limited-overs series against Sri Lanka.

Over the last year, Kuldeep Yadav’s career has seen many ups and downs coming his way after the left-arm wrist spinner was unable to find enough games to play which have somehow dented his confidence. Despite being included in the squad for Australian Tests in Down Under, Kuldeep was seen warming the bench throughout the series, even when the regular players got injured.

Nothing changed in the home series against England where he was handed a solitary game in which Virat Kohli gave him only 12.2 overs to bowl in the entire game, yet Kuldeep returned with two wickets. However, according to his childhood coach Kapil Pandey’s admission, Kuldeep would have at least picked 30 wickets in that series if he was given more chances against England. 

“On the Australia tour, where he took a five-wicket haul last time, he didn’t get to play a single Test, even when half of the team was injured. Then, against England at home, he could have easily taken at least 30 wickets if he played all the Test matches,” Pandey told Indiatoday.in.   

Kuldeep’s IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders was also not kind to him. Even after playing for five seasons for the franchise, he couldn’t find a single game this season, even in favourable conditions. His coach feels both India and KKR’s team management has treated him in an unfair manner, calling it ‘step-motherly treatment'. 

“In the IPL, when his team is not losing one match after another, while he is warming the bench. I don’t want to say this, but sometimes, I feel the team management has given Kuldeep a step-motherly treatment.”

However, Kuldeep has been seen practising hard and aims to come strong in the upcoming Sri Lanka series where he found his place in the Shikhar Dhawan-led squad, which has included a host of IPL stars. Pandey said Kuldeep is working on his googlies and stock deliveries to turn the ball sharply in the coming tour.

“Kuldeep’s biggest strength is his googly. It has always been his wicket-taking delivery, but he has not been able to bowl it at a good length in recent times. He was bowling one too many loose balls. Kuldeep has worked on it, and he is pitching all his googlies on good lengths and is getting a good amount of turn and purchase as well,” asserted Pandey. 

“Kuldeep has always been a wicket-taker and has gone for runs a few times, but now he wants to add another dimension to his bowling. Kuldeep is also working on his stock delivery to check the run flow in the middle overs. Although taking wickets is his priority, he wants to be economical as well,” he added.

Get updates! Follow us on

Open all