IPL 2022: If He Was At KKR For One More Season, He Would Have Severely Diminished As A Cricketer - Kuldeep Yadav's Childhood Coach
![Kuldeep Yadav[photo: Twitter]](https://static.cricketaddictor.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/kuldeep-yadav-1598847502.jpg?q=80)
Delhi Capitals (DC) leg-spinner Kuldeep Yadav has managed to resurrect his career after joining the Rishabh Pant-led team following the conclusion of the IPL 2022 mega auction.
He was going through a terrible phase in the final years at Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), where the leggie was severely low on confidence and wasn’t given the chance to prove his mettle in the shortest format.
Speaking about the effect it had on the wrist-spinner, his childhood coach Kapil Dev Pandey revealed that Kuldeep came to him for advice after not understanding what he had to do.
“Kuldeep didn’t get many chances in the last three years. Be it Tests, ODIs, T20Is, or IPLs, no one gave him opportunities. KKR didn’t show trust in him. They didn’t give him many chances. Kuldeep was disappointed, he has been in touch with me.”
“I told him not to lose hope and not to miss any training, nets, or practice sessions. I asked him to keep working hard and that would help him bounce back hard,” Pandey told TimesofIndia.com.
“KKR didn’t give him chances, that was quite shocking” – Kuldeep Yadav’s coach
Kuldeep was fielded in the KKR playing XI for a total of 13 matches in 2019 and 2020. He managed to pick up only 5 wickets and he was subsequently dropped from the team. He didn’t play in the 2021 edition after undergoing knee surgery.
Fortunately for Kuldeep, he was released by KKR, and in the auctions, DC picked him up for INR 2 crores and the 28-year-old hasn’t looked back since.
“KKR did a very good thing by releasing Kuldeep. It worked really well in Kuldeep’s favor. If Kuldeep was there for one more season, he would have severely diminished as a cricketer. They (KKR) retained him for one year and then didn’t give him chances, that was quite shocking,” Pandey added.
Kuldeep has taken 17 wickets in 9 matches for DC in the IPL 2022 season, only behind Yuzvendra Chahal in the list for the most wickets this season.
Also Read – IPL 2022: Virat Kohli Still Comes To The Gym With Child-like Enthusiasm, Says RCB Fitness Coach Shanker Basu
