MS Dhoni's Message Helped Me Stay Motivated, Says Kuldeep Yadav

The young spinner Kuldeep Yadav who plied his trade for the Kolkata Knight Riders in the recently concluded Indian Premier League (IPL) had a poor outing. Many thought it will have a bearing on his performance in the upcoming ICC World Cup but thanks to MS Dhoni – his message has helped the young spinner keep himself motivated during this tough period.

Was emotional after the RCB game – Kuldeep

Kuldeep Yadav returned with only four wickets from nine matches and shelled out runs at an economy rate of 8.66. Owing to his poor show, the management had to make him sit on the benches and play the veteran spinner, Piyush Chawla. In one of the matches against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) this season, Kuldeep was hit for 27 runs in a single over by Moeen Ali as he went on to concede 59 runs in his quota of 4 overs, the joint-most by a spinner in the history of the competition.

Speaking about the incident, Kuldeep Yadav admitted that he was very emotional after that game as the match slipped out of his hands after the over. Kuldeep revealed that he had proper plans in place for Moeen Ali but failed to implement those.

“I wasn’t negative but wasn’t positive either at that time. When I was hit for so many runs in that over I was very disappointed. I knew I could get him (Moeen) out and we had a plan too but I just couldn’t execute it. The game slipped out of our grasp because of that over and that’s why I was very emotional,” he told Hindustan Times in an exclusive interview.

However, Kuldeep Yadav revealed how a message from former India skipper MS Dhoni helped him regain his confidence.  The young spinner praised Dhoni, saying that he has been a pillar of strength since his debut. Kuldeep also added that it is only during the game time when Dhoni comes up to his rescue, the veteran cricketers advice off the field also has done wonders to him.

“…Then Mahi bhai (Dhoni) passed on a message that I shouldn’t lose confidence, I need to focus on my game and that really helped me a lot. He has always been a pillar of support ever since I made my debut. People only talk about how he helps us from behind the stumps but it’s actually the work, the advice he gives us in-between or after the matches, that does a world of good,” Kuldeep concluded.