“I will score runs in times to come” – Kuldeep Yadav working on improving his batting 

Kuldeep Yadav has had a tough few years in cricket. Dropped from both the Indian team as well as Kolkata Knight Riders, the spinner hasn’t seen much success after breaking onto the scene with aplomb.

While his struggles at KKR have been due to his poor bowling efforts coupled with the rise of Varun Chakravarthy, his story in the Indian team is slightly different. Kuldeep Yadav has failed to impress with the ball, but his lack of ability with the bat has pushed India to pick someone like Krunal Pandya or Washington Sundar over him.

Speaking to IANS, Kuldeep Yadav admitted he has been working on his batting while spending time on the sidelines.

“I have worked a lot on my batting recently. I didn’t get much opportunities to bat in matches. But I worked with [batting coach] Vikram [Rathour] paaji a lot. I think I will score runs in times to come. Whatever skills I have with the bat, I will use them,” revealed Kuldeep.

Kuldeep Yadav averages 13.11 in ODIs and has a high score of 19. The spinner has come out to bat just 21 times in 63 games but has managed to remain not out on 12 occasions. His record in other formats isn’t too impressive either, with Kuldeep Yadav averaging 6.75 in Tests and batting just twice in 21 T20Is.

Kuldeep Yadav shares his plans as a batsman

Kuldeep Yadav can do his chances a world of good if he manages to improve with the bat. India are currently struggling with having too many tail-enders in their side, which has prompted them to break up the successful Kuldeep Yadav-Yuzvendra Chahal duo.

If Kuldeep Yadav can up his batting skills, he can offer a viable alternative down the order. It can also help take the pressure off his bowling, allowing him to get two cracks at contributing during a game. Kuldeep Yadav discussed how the Australia tour helped him work on his batting.

“My defence is very good. I was working a lot in Australia on playing shots — the areas where you can score off fast bowlers, looking at scoring opportunities against them,” shared Kuldeep.

Kuldeep Yadav will next get a chance to prove his batting credentials during IPL 2021. With players like Sunil Narine, Shakib Al Hasan and Varun Chakravarthy in the ranks, it remains to be seen whether the 26-year-old will get enough chances to prove his doubters wrong.