The past couple of years have been overwhelming for Kuldeep Yadav. Be it in the IPL or for Team India, the Chinaman bowler has always impressed one and all with his performance. However, life was not easy for him before that. Till 2021, Kuldeep was struggling with his performance and got dropped from the Indian side as well. His last season with Kolkata Knight Riders was no less than a nightmare as he was benched for the entire season. At the same time, injuries kept adding to his woes and filled him with self-doubts.
But 2022 was the beacon of hope for Kuldeep when he was picked by Delhi Capitals at the mega players’ auction. Under the leadership of Rishabh Pant, he flourished immensely and ended the season with 16 wickets. All-in-all it was a great season for him but very few people know that it was head coach Ricky Ponting who played a crucial role in bringing the best out of Kuldeep
Kuldeep recently opened up about his signing by Delhi Capitals in 2022. Speaking in the YouTube show called, ‘Breakfast with Champions’, he said Ponting called him up before the season and assured that the spinner will be playing all 14 games.
“When I joined the Delhi Capitals, Ricky Ponting had sent me a message. I had a word with him. He had planned to take me to the team. He told me one thing in the first match, ‘You’ll play all 14 matches no matter what. You are my main player. Don’t think you’ll be dropped for not performing’. Then I thought that I’ve finally settled in the team,” Kuldeep said in the show.
He further revealed his tough days when he underwent surgery and was on the road to recovery. He said he used to get irritated soon and had mood swings but he got constant support from Yuzvendra Chahal, who was also a part of the show.
“I’m close to Chahal in the Indian team. We have played together for so many years. So, I’ve discussed everything with him after my surgery. We talked a lot when I was injured. Because I had my mood swings every now and then. I was getting angry after every 15 minutes. So, I spoke to him a lot and he used to give me a lot of confidence. And he used to say, “It’s okay. You’ll make a roaring comeback”,” Kuldeep said on the show.
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