Kuldeep Yadav can be in World Cup squad if he performs consistently, remarks Maninder Singh
Maninder Singh has lauded Kuldeep Yadav's hard work which has led to tremendous performances in recent times, stating such displays can earn him a place in the 2023 World Cup squad. He discussed how the bowler had suffered a lean patch but his work ethic has seen him return brimming with confidence.
During his sting with the Kolkata Knight Riders, Kuldeep Yadav went from being one of India's most promising bowlers to another lost talent. He lost his place in theĀ national side thus breaking up the hugely successful partnership with Yuzvendra Chahal, which had come to be known as 'Kulcha', while also struggling to get appearances in the Indian Premier League.
However, a transfer to the Delhi Capitals ahead of the league's 2022 edition changed all of that. The 27-year-old excelled with aĀ brilliant tally of 21 wickets, forcing his way back into the Indian setup. However, a hand injury kept him from competing against the Proteas as well as travelling to Ireland and England, before being finally named in the squad to face the West Indies. After a patient wait, Yadav got a chance to play in the final T20I in Florida, which was only his second T20I on over a year. The spinner passed with flying colours, returning figures of 4-1-12-3, thus impressing former Indian cricketer Maninder SinghĀ Ā
"Kuldeep Yadav's performance had started to go down. But the way he made a comeback while playing for Delhi Capitals this year, it was showing that he had worked hard. Seeing a player's expressions when on the field and body language is enough to say that the player had worked hard when coming back to playing cricket. The great performance he had for Delhi Capitals and the confidence he got from there was there to see on the field in the (recent) international cricket match (fifth T20I against West Indies)," he was quoted saying by the Times of India.
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Find OutOne of the few left-arm wrist spinners in the international arena, Yadav provides India with incredible variation. He was included in India's squad for the 2019 World Cup in England where he played seven games, managing six scalps at a decent economy of 5. With the next edition of the tournament scheduled to take place in India itself, Singh believes Kuldeep has a terrific opportunity to stake his claim in the squad should he continue performing at the same level.Ā
"I still think he needs to perform consistently and if he does that constantly on the field, then he can be in the ODI World Cup which will happen in India in 2023. He brings a different variety as he's a left-arm chinaman (wrist-spin) and has the knack of picking wickets when he started out in international cricket, which is very important in the middle overs to stem the run-rate of the opposition," he explained.
Kuldeep is next expected to feature in the ODI series against Zimbabwe beginning August 18, where he would be hoping to cement his place in the India side for the foreseeable future.Ā Ā
āThis is a very big positive as, according to me, the way he was fading and was not handled well, it felt as if a talented bowler could be lost. Because of this, I had made a one-two comment previously that if he stays away from T20 cricket, it would be better for him. But this can't happen, you can just think about it as a lot of money is involved and a player needs money in life for security. He has worked hard because of which he has got great results," Singh concluded.