Umesh Yadav’s selection for limited-overs format against England is well deserved, asserts Parthiv Patel
According to Parthiv Patel, Umesh Yadav’s selection in the limited-overs squad for the upcoming tour of England is much-deserved looking at his performance in the ongoing IPL. The RCB glovesman has also stated that IPL is all about momentum and after a couple of wins, the team is back on track.
One of the talking points of this year’s IPL is Umesh Yadav’s renovation in white-ball cricket. While the India pacer is a consistent part of the Test team, the thing is quite different in the limited-overs format as the speedster’s last T20 appearance came way back in 2012,
Royal Challengers Bangalore wicket-keeper batsman Parthiv Patel has opined that Umesh Yadav’s selection to India’s limited-overs squads for their upcoming tour of England is a deserved one, on the basis of how the 30-year-old fast bowler has performed in the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League.
“He (Umesh) is bowling brilliantly. He was India’s best bowler in their last home season. And this IPL, he has been magnificent and has been rewarded with a place in the ODI and T20I squads for England tour. It’s a well-deserved selection. He is thinking right and is executing his plans to perfection,” Patel said after RCB’s 10-wicket win over Kings XI Punjab at the Holkar Stadium, reported Hindustan Times.
In yesterday's do-or-die clash against KXIP, Yadav took the in-form KL Rahul and Chris Gayle’s wickets with short deliveries and the rest of KXIP’s batting line-up were bowled out for 88 in 15.1 overs. He also took the wicket of Andrew Tye to finish with figures of 3/23. Overall, he has taken 17 wickets from 12 games in IPL 2018.
While Yadav’s inconsistency in India’s limited-overs format was the reason for his omission, it seems his performance in the IPL has paved the way for him, as far as India’s ODI set-up is concerned. When the World Cup is just a year away, his experience can be pivotal to India’s success.
After his brilliance with the ball, RCB openers Patel and skipper Virat Kohli finished the formalities with 11.5 overs remaining which also boosted their net run rate. They now need to win their remaining two matches to keep themselves in contention for a playoffs spot. Patel feels IPL is all about momentum and a couple of wins, the team is back on track.
“This tournament is all about momentum. A couple of wins and you are back on track. Say two games before, we (RCB) weren’t in a good shape but we have fought hard and I’m confident we’ll do well in the rest of our games,” he observed.
When asked about his own batting form, the wicket-keeper, who has scored 119 runs in four games including a half-century, said he is playing his natural game and his good space of mind has also helped him to come out good.
“I feel that I’m in a good space. I have stuck to my natural game. Every time I have tried to slog in the past, I’ve gotten out. I strongly believe I can hit boundaries by playing normal cricketing shots,” noted the 33 years old.