On June 4, 2024, in New Delhi, spinner Kuldeep Yadav of the Delhi Capitals, who is currently a member of the Indian team for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, had an open discussion in Episode 2 of the DC Cafe about his comeback, his fantasy World Cup, his goals outside of cricket, and much more.
The Part Watson, Ponting, and Pant Played in Kuldeep Yadav’s Comeback
The wrist-spinner demonstrated how he changed to become Kuldeep 2.0. “I never thought I’d change so much in the last few years,” he stated. I did have different skills when I joined DC in 2022, but I still required that confidence. Ricky gave me a firm hug and said, “We wanted you on our team,” when I first met him. I can still clearly recall that moment. I’m aware of your abilities. I’ll make sure you play every game, so don’t worry about anything.
In training sessions, Ponting used to provide me with suggestions, which helped me build confidence. Along with Rishabh, who is my brother, I have always had his complete support and trust.”
“But I worked a lot with Watson,” he continued. We had a close bond, and even when I wasn’t performing well, I would share everything with him. When the IPL (2022–2023) was going on, I would spend hours conversing with him in his room. I used to open up to him openly, and he used to ask me about anything that made me uncomfortable. In this, he has been instrumental. Before I play matches, I go back and review the notes I made during those conversations on my phone. He and I have a really strong bond. His contribution to my comeback has been enormous.”
Dreams Beyond Cricket and the World Cup Dream
The 29-year-old stated, “Winning the World Cup for India is my dream,” as India gets ready for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. This T20 World Cup is my first. At the age of 29, I aim to play for as long as I can. A longer procedure is involved in winning the World Cup, which is a long-term objective. A World Cup victory is a must for playing for India for an extended period of time. In my opinion, winning trophies is the ultimate goal, and that’s why you play. My sole aspiration is to win the World Cup.
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“In addition to cricket, I wish to obtain a coaching licence for football. I need to work on it a lot, but I’m not flawless. When I retire from cricket, hopefully, I’ll have the time and resources to devote to it. After cricket, if I want to do something, I would definitely like to contribute to football because I have friends who are involved in the sport,” he continued.
Relationship with Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin
Kuldeep said, “My friendship with Jaddu bhai is straightforward; we talk less about cricket,” when asked about his relationship with India’s spin combo of Ashwin and Jadeja. But we discuss the game a lot with Ash bhai. He introduces me to a lot of fresh bowling concepts. I never tried doing new things before, but Ash bhai always encourages me to do so.”
India
