Kapil Dev Pandey, Kuldeep Yadav’s childhood coach, has criticized Virat Kohli for choosing Axar Patel over his pupil only on the basis of his batting ability. Pandey also complimented Rohit Sharma for reintroducing Kuldeep into India’s limited-overs lineup against the West Indies in February.
Kuldeep Yadav has been in fine form for Delhi Capitals in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022. (DC). The 27-year-old left-arm wrist spinner has 17 scalps in nine matches in IPL 2022, including two four-wicket hauls against his previous side Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). He has also been named Player of the Match four times.
Kuldeep Yadav had a strong start for Team India but was unable to maintain his purple patch. He was dropped from the national team under Virat Kohli’s leadership, but Rohit Sharma, who was named India’s full-time captain across all forms, reintroduced him. Kapil Dev Pandey, Kuldeep’s childhood coach, expressed gratitude to Rohit for believing in his pupil.
“Whenever captains placed their confidence in Kuldeep, he delivered. He has an excellent track record in Tests. He has two hat tricks in One-Day Internationals. He has an excellent T20I record. However, he did not get enough opportunities. This is very astonishing. Kuldeep’s career is protected by Rohit Sharma. Rohit is the driving force behind Kuldeep’s comeback. He is an excellent leader who understands how to identify potential among a large group of players. Prior to the IPL, Rohit phoned Kuldeep and offered him the opportunity (against the West Indies). Kuldeep also delivered with two wickets,” Kuldeep told the Times of India.
Additionally, despite praising Rohit for Kuldeep’s comeback, Pandey criticized Kohli for failing to believe in his pupil, stating: “Rohit maintained a close check on Kuldeep, his Yo-Yo Test, and rehab reports.” Rohit was taken aback by Kuldeep’s rehabilitation program. Rohit deserves credit for Kuldeep’s resurgence. He would not be here today without Rohit, Pant, and Ponting’s assistance. Each captain has their own distinct style of captaincy and player selection. Kuldeep played a significant amount of cricket for Virat. Virat aspires to get experience on the side. He accompanied Ashwin and Jadeja. He liked Axar over Kuldeep because of Axar’s batsmanship. A captain must have faith in his players.
In IPL 2022, Kuldeep is just one wicket behind his long-time buddy Yuzvendra Chahal, who has 19 wickets in nine matches.