Kuldeep Yadav: Don’t need to say I am dependent on MS Dhoni

India’s premier chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav credited former captain and wicketkeeper MS Dhoni for a lot of his success at the international level but feels that not much will change after his retirement.

“Of course. Mahi bhai has always guided me, because the wicketkeeper is always the best judge of the bowler. Someone like Mahi bhai is experienced and has an idea about how a batsman plays. All of this is teamwork,” Kuldeep Yadav told the Times of India in an interview.

“Just because Mahi bhai hasn’t played after the World Cup, I don’t need to prove anything to anyone. I don’t need to say if I was dependent on him. I can just work towards bettering my craft and as I said, it’s teamwork,” the left-arm wrist spinner added.

Like top fast bowlers hunt in pairs, Kuldeep Yadav forms a great combination with fellow wrist-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal. However, the re-emergence of Ravindra Jadeja has meant that Indian team have to break the ‘KulCha’ pairing in ODI cricket.

Kuldeep Yadav feels the ban on saliva will need getting used to

Kuldeep Yadav has shared his two cents on the saliva ban issue

Like Chahal before him, Kuldeep Yadav said the decision depends on the team combination on a given day.

“Wrist spin is not that easy. Chahal and I have bonded well for years. After the World Cup we haven’t played together because it depends on the selection and team combination. You’ve got to be flexible with the team’s requirements,” the 25-year-old spinner said.

There has been a lot of debate around the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) interim decision to impose a ban on the use of saliva to shine the ball in the wake of coronavirus pandemic. And Kuldeep reckons that the ban will affect both the pacers and spinners and the habit will be hard to give up.

“It (saliva ban) will be difficult for every bowling unit. It will affect both fast bowlers and spinners because when you get a good shine on the ball, as a spinner it helps you get drift in the air. Not using saliva will be challenging because we have been using it since childhood. It is an instinctive reaction when you get the ball in your hand. Changing that habit will be a challenge,” Kuldeep Yadav, who has 167 wickets across all formats, said.

During the lockdown period, the chinaman bowler has been studying videos of his bowling and has identified few things which he will need to improve.

“We needed a break, but this has been too long. Safety comes first. If you are not active in your profession, you tend to miss it. I have been watching a lot of videos of my bowling. There are a few fine things that I have noticed, and I will work around these small observations,” Kuldeep Yadav added.