If I were Kuldeep, I’d work on my batting and fielding, says Harsha Bhogle
Prominent cricket commentator and analyst Harsha Bhogle has advised the struggling Kuldeep Yadav to work on improving his batting and fielding every chance he gets. Kuldeep conceded 84 runs and picked up only two wickets as India failed to defend 347 in the first ODI against New Zealand in Hamilton.
Though his overall numbers of 102 ODI wickets in 59 matches at 25.85 is impressive, Kuldeep’s recent form paints a different picture. The 25-year-old has managed only 25 wickets in his last 20 ODIs at an average closing in on 42 since March 2019. And so, as India have turned to playing only either one of the Kul-Cha duo alongside an all-rounder like Ravindra Jadeja, Bhogle’s advice to Kuldeep is to find ways to maximise his net contribution to the team.
“If I was Kuldeep, I’d go and work on my batting as well. Everytime I get a chance, I’ll bat. I won’t give away my strength as a bowler, but every time I get a chance I’ll bat, and I’ll become a far better fielder in the outfield. So my net contribution to the team is much more,” Bhogle said on Cricbuzz Live.
Bhogle further added that he hopes Kuldeep will not worry too much about his lack of matches in recent months and unnecessarily try too hard.
“I don’t know him well, I’ve just met him two or three times. I don’t know how he reacts to not getting games. Is he a worrier? I didn’t get T20 games, what do I do now? Let me try too hard? I hope he’s not. Because he’s not played the five T20s and Chahal is bowling well, so only that many people can play,” Bhogle added.Â