Kuldeep Yadav Heaps Praise On His Former KKR Captain Gautam Gambhir

India’s young Chinaman Kuldeep Yadav has shed light on how his former IPL captain of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Gautam Gambhir, has helped him evolve as a player. Gautam Gambhir represented KKR from 2011 to 2017. During his stint as the captain of the franchise, he won them a couple of IPL titles in 2012 and 2014 respectively.

Kuldeep Yadav donned the KKR jersey in 2014 and has been associated with them ever since. His national debut in all the formats came in the year 2017, and a lot of its credit goes to the Kolkata-based franchise. He is among one of those players who India have been fortunate enough to acquire from the cash-rich league.

Now, Kuldeep Yadav, himself has gone on to appreciate what his former captain, Gautam Gambhir and Wasim Akram have instilled in him over the years that helped him evolve as a cricketer.

SHORTS

View More

Your daily dose of cricket!

Loading...

Kuldeep Yadav Heaps Praise On Former KKR Skipper Gautam Gambhir

Kuldeep said that Gambhir, who led KKR to two IPL titles in 2012 and 2014, gave him confidence by assuring him of a place in the team.

“Gauti bhai had a huge influence on me from the start of my stint at KKR. He always spoke to me a lot. Not only during the time he was at KKR, but even after that, over these last two years,” Kuldeep was quoted as saying by the franchise’s website.

“He always kept me motivated. When you get that kind of confidence from your captain, it becomes a huge plus point for any player. It helps you remain confident, and that translates into good performance,” Kuldeep Yadav added.

Wasim Akram Also Helped Me A Lot: Kuldeep Yadav

The chinaman bowler said former Pakistan captain Akram helped him more with the mental aspect of the game.

“Wasim sir used to like me a lot too. He didn’t speak much about bowling, but he prepared me a lot in terms of mentally taking on the game. He prepared me to take on different situations in different ways, and taught me how to react when batsmen put you under pressure,” said Kuldeep.

“When he was at KKR, I used to sit with him and pick his brain a lot. I used to sit next to him in the dugout during matches and ask questions about real-time situations,” Kuldeep added.

Kuldeep said he used to ask Akram what he would have done in certain situations. “He would test me by asking me what my approach would have been. So apart from Gauti bhai, he was someone who had a big influence on me during those early years. He also has a very good sense of humour, so it was great having him around,” said Kuldeep.

Also Read: Hardik Pandya Opens Up On IPL 2020 Being Held Behind Closed Doors