Left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav has started training in earnest, bowling four hours daily, and is striving hard to curb his natural instinct of applying saliva on the ball.
Kuldeep is sweating it out under his childhood coach Kapil Pandey at the local ground where he learnt all his cricket.
“I am doing two sessions per day. From 7:30 to 9 a.m., I do my physical training and bow in the nets between 4 and 8 p.m.,” said Kuldeep.
Ready for action
“It’s only been a week that I have started outdoor training and I believe, within next few weeks, I would be ready for competitive cricket as and when it starts,” said Kuldeep.
For the 25-year-old, the biggest concern is controlling the habit of using saliva.
“Since childhood, we have this habit of applying saliva on the ball to keep the shine. With new rules in place, I am trying to get rid of the habit. I believe it needs to be imbibed in training sessions first. Hopefully, we will have some alternative in place,” said Kuldeep,
Asked which format he would like to play once cricket resumes, Kuldeep said that T20 will be his choice. “Once competitive cricket resumes, I would prefer playing in the IPL.”
Not the priority
He feels that cricket is not the priority now. “We have seen the crisis of migrant labourers across India, especially in Delhi and Mumbai. People are jobless and you can’t just think about your sport.” said the talented spinner.
“I have always believed in this philosophy that charity should be done quietly. Yes, I am associated with a few NGOs plus I have tried to help people in my native Kanpur,” said Kuldeep, when asked how has he helped people in these time.