Delhi Capitals’ spinner Kuldeep Yadav, currently part of India’s ICC T20 World Cup squad, shared insights on his journey, World Cup dreams, and life beyond cricket in a recent conversation on DC Cafe’s second episode.
Ponting, Pant, and Watson’s Role in Kuldeep’s Revival
The wrist-spinner revealed how he emerged as Kuldeep 2.0. He said, “I never thought I’d change drastically over the last couple of years. When I joined DC in 2022, I did come in with changed skills, but I needed that confidence. I still remember when I met Ricky on the first day, he hugged me properly and said, we wanted to have you in our team. I know your skills. Don’t worry about anything, and I will ensure you play all the games. So, Ponting helped me gain confidence, he used to give me ideas in training sessions. Rishabh as well, he is my brother, has always trusted me, and gave me full support.”
He further added, “However, I worked a lot with Watson. I bonded strongly with him; I used to share everything, even when I wasn’t playing well. I used to talk for hours with him in his room during the IPL (2022/2023). He used to ask me about everything I was uncomfortable with, and I used to open up freely to him. He has played a big role in this. I still have notes from those conversations on my phone, and I rewind those before I play matches. I share an excellent bond with him. He has played a huge role in my revival.”
As India gears up for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, the 29-year-old said, “It’s my dream to win the World Cup for India. This is my first T20 World Cup. I’m 29 years old and expect to play for as long as possible. Winning the World Cup is a long-term goal, and there’s a bigger process behind it. If you’re playing for India for a long time, you’ve got to win a World Cup. I think trophies do matter in the end, and you’re playing to win the trophies. So winning the World Cup is my only dream.”
“Beyond cricket, I’m hopeful of getting a license in football coaching. I’m not perfect, but I need to work on it a lot. Hopefully, when I leave cricket, I can invest time in it and take proper training. I’ve got friends who are associated with the game, and after cricket, if I want to do something, I would certainly like to contribute to football,” he added.
Speaking about his bond with India’s spin duo of Ashwin and Jadeja, Kuldeep stated, “My friendship with Jaddu bhai is straightforward; we talk less about cricket. However, with Ash bhai, we talk a lot about the game. He brings in a lot of new ideas about bowling. Earlier, I didn’t use to try new things, but Ash bhai pushes me to try new things.”
