What’s the story?
Before Kuldeep Yadav made headlines with his 4-wicket haul on debut for the Indian Test side versus Australia in Dharamshala, fans knew him as KKR’s other Chinaman. The Kolkata-based franchise have always enjoyed having unorthodox bowlers in their arsenal and had the perfect mentor for the Indian youngster in Australia’s experienced Brad Hogg.
The demands placed on young cricketers nowadays is immense as they are expected to excel in all three formats of the game. In the upcoming months, a lot of responsibility will be thrust on young Kuldeep’s shoulders to perform well in T20 cricket.
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While Indian spin legend Bishan Singh Bedi spoke about it having a detrimental effect on his bowling, Brad Hogg had a contradictory view, stating that it will only help him grow.
"No, I don't agree with that at all. I think he should be put under constant pressure all the time and I firmly believe that he can handle it. He is young and if things don't go his way, he has got the mental aptitude to go away - think about it, learn from it -and come back stronger. I think he is a fantastic prospect for India and has a great future ahead of him.” he said while speaking to the Times of India.
The context
Despite having been signed by the Mumbai Indians back in 2012, Kuldeep had to wait till 2016 to make his IPL debut for the KKR. With Brad Hogg not a part of the team this year, he will feature in a number of games.
The details
22-year-old Kuldeep has all the traits to make him a very effective T20 player. A Chinaman bowler, he can be used to deadly effect as he has the ability to pick up wickets at regular intervals.
In the absence of Brad Hogg, he will be a regular feature in the KKR squad. After his morale-boosting Test debut, his confidence will be as high as ever and he will be looking forward to the IPL. While Bishan Singh Bedi believed that this might hurt the youngster, Hogg’s point is that bowlers are put under constant pressure in the shortest format of the game and Kuldeep can only benefit from that.
Author’s take
Cricketers nowadays are expected to excel in all three formats of the game. While there are exceptions like India’s Cheteshwar Pujara, most players use the skills from each format to become a better all-round cricketer. Kuldeep’ s talent shouldn’t be restricted to only Test cricket, but he should be given a chance in all the formats of the game.
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