In an interview at DC Cafe prior to the ICC T20 World Cup, Indian spinner Kuldeep Yadav talks about his comeback, his hopes for the World Cup, and his life beyond cricket.
In an open discussion on Episode 2 of the DC Cafe, Indian spinner Kuldeep Yadav—who is presently a member of the Indian squad for the ICC T20 World Cup—recently talked about his comeback, his goals for the World Cup, and his life outside of cricket.
The wrist-spinner disclosed his transformation into Kuldeep 2.0. “I never imagined I’d change so drastically over the last couple of years,” he remarked.
Although my talents had evolved by the time I joined DC in 2022, I still required that confidence. I vividly recall Ricky giving me a firm embrace and telling me, “We wanted you on our team,” when I first met him. I am aware of your abilities. You may relax knowing that I’ll make sure you get to play every game.
He went on, “But I collaborated with Watson a lot. I had a close relationship with him and used to tell him everything, even when I wasn’t performing well. During the IPL in 2022 and 2023, I used to spend hours conversing with him in his room. I used to be able to open up to him and he would question me about anything that made me uncomfortable. He has contributed much to this. I go back and review the notes I made during those chats on my phone before starting a match. I have a really strong connection with him. He has been instrumental in my comeback.”
The 29-year-old declared, “It’s my dream to win the World Cup for India,” as his country gets ready for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. My first T20 World Cup is this one. I intend to play for as long as possible; I’m 29 years old. The World Cup is a long-term objective with a more involved method to achieve. Win a World Cup if you want to play for India for a long period. In my opinion, the ultimate goal of playing is to win trophies, thus they certainly count. So my main dream is to win the World Cup.”
“In addition to playing cricket, I want to become a licensed football coach. I still have a lot of work to do, but I’m not flawless. I want to be able to devote time and receive the necessary training when I retire from cricket. I have friends who play the game, and if I want to do something after cricket, I would definitely like to help with football,” he continued.
About his relationship with India’s spin combo of Ashwin and Jadeja, Kuldeep said, “We don’t chat much about cricket; my friendship with Jaddu bhai is simple. On the other hand, we discuss the game a lot with Ash bhai. He offers a lot of fresh perspectives on bowling. I never experimented with new things before.
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