Not Being A Regular In The Indian Playing XI Doesn't Bother Me: Kuldeep Yadav

Indian chinaman spinner Kuldeep Yadav has said that he was not much bothered about not getting a regular place in the Indian team during the recently-c0ncluded international season.

Kuldeep Yadav has endured a forgettable last six months with the Indian Cricket Team as he was consigned to the bench for a major part of the season.

Once hailed as India’s first-choice spinner in overseas conditions, Kuldeep did not play a single Test in Australia despite the likes of R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja were unavailable for the fourth and final Test at the Gabba.

He was once again consigned to the bench during the first Test against England in Chennai as India opted for the duo of Shahbaz Nadeem and Washington Sundar.

Kuldeep returned to the playing XI as the third spinner alongside R Ashwin and Axar Patel but once again, he was benched after one outing as India went with the duo of Ashwin-Axar in the last two Tests.

Kuldeep was once again overlooked for the five-match T20I series and when he returned to the playing XI for the ODI rubber, he was smashed to all corners in the first two matches, leading to him being dropped for the series decider.

Spending such a long period of time on the bench can take a mental toll on any young cricketer but Kuldeep Yadav isn’t that bothered as for him, ultimately it is about what’s good for the team.

”It is simple (motivating yourself). As a cricketer, you want to play and you always think that you are going to play. But the circumstances don’t always allow you to play. Often, the team’s demands are different, and the combinations required for different matches are also taken into account. But it doesn’t matter much to me. Because you shouldn’t think much about what is not under your control. And I don’t think much about it,” said Kuldeep Yadav during a chat with IANS.

”I want to play for the team. But I also have to think about the team. If you are able to contribute to the team or there is a requirement for you, then obviously you get to play. But if there is no place and another player who fits the bill plays, then that is also good. I was never worried about it [not being able to play]. I have a lot of self-belief. I was bowling very well too. I kept egging myself on and kept my confidence level high. I wasn’t too worried and never went into depression. But the team management was always clear — whatever decision they took, they took it after talking to me. If you perform you are happy, if you don’t get to play then that is also a part of the game. You just keep working hard,” he added.

Also Read- I Have Worked A Lot On My Batting Recently: Kuldeep Yadav