Kuldeep Yadav said prior to every match he interacted with Shane Warne on how to perform better under new conditions. (AP/File Photo)Indian spinner Kuldeep Yadav, who had a brilliant outing in India’s recently-concluded tours to Australia and New Zealand, credited his success to his idol Shane Warne. The tweaker said that the Indian coach Ravi Shastri introduced him to Warne on the first day of the tour and prior to every match he interacted with the legendary spinner on how to perform better under new conditions.
Kuldeep, during an interview with CricketNext, said, “From the moment I landed in Australia, Shane Warne was there close to the team. Every morning before any match I chatted with Warne and talked about my bowling. He kept motivating me. Coach Ravi Shastri introduced me to Warne on the first day of the tour. He talked to me about the conditions in Australia and how to bowl here. There is bounce here as well.”
Kuldeep, who only featured in the fourth and final Test in Australia, dismantled the Australian batting line-up by picking up five wickets in one innings. The match ended in a draw after rain played spoilsport and sealed a historic series win for India. In the limited-over series against New Zealand, the leg-spinner featured in four out of five ODIs and one T20I. He was a crucial member of the squad in both the series as he added ten wickets under his name in ODIs and picked up two wickets in T20I.
Kuldeep has been a regular face in the Indian limited-overs setup. He is currently placed fourth in ICC ODI bowling rankings and is likely to spearhead India’s spin attack along with his partner Yuzvendra Chahal in the upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup. With the Indian Premier League approaching, Kuldeep said that he is looking forward to interact with his idol more and grasp more on how to bowl in England.
“World Cup is too far away for now. I keep speaking to Warne on phone and WhatsApp. He’ll be here for IPL as well so I look forward to talking to him once again. We have a great understanding and it feels great that a legend that you have idolised since childhood is willing to help you out so much — tell you what’s right and wrong. That makes me feel really positive,” Kuldeep said.
