Seeking to cement spot in World T20 squad through IPL performance, reveals Kuldeep Yadav

Only a year ago, Kuldeep Yadav was looked upon as India’s best spin bowling option in overseas conditions, but a slump in form led to him losing that status. Not a sure-shot starter anymore, the chinaman has revealed that he is seeking to cement his place in India’s T20 World Cup team with some sensational performances in the forthcoming edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). 

Kuldeep last played a Test in January 2018 against Australia in Sydney, while his last T20 match was against Sri Lanka in January this year. The 25-year-old is now eyeing jackpot in the IPL, starting March 29, to make a strong statement and return to the Indian T20 setup.

“IPL is such a platform which changes every year. You need to be active every time and adapt to the changes. I am right now fully prepared for IPL. I got plenty of time to plan also. IPL is very important (for making a comeback in Indian team),” Kuldeep told the Indian Express.

In this year’s IPL, the chinaman will be amidst mystery spinners in Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy, look to bring back the deceptiveness he was once known for. The league has not only produced famous players but also has revived careers of many, dating back to Shane Watson in the inaugural season. The tweaker has put faith in his abilities and believes that in the IPL, the more you play, the better you will get.

“Every player wants to play more because the more you play, the more you improve. IPL is such a platform where you get to play regularly over the course of one and half months and it will in turn result in performance,” he added.

Kuldeep is expected to feature in the Indian team that face will South Africa in a three-match ODI series starting on March 12 but the Indian Premier League that starts shortly after the end of the series is touted as the real litmus test for the 25-year-old, as far as selection in the squad for the 2020 World T20 is concerned.