[In Pictures] "Bowling Shane…. Always & Forever" - Kuldeep Yadav visits iconic spinner's statue outside MCG
Indian spinner Kuldeep Yadav paid a visit to the late legendary Shane Warne's statue outside the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). Being a wrist spinner like the former Australian player, Kuldeep saw Warne as an idol and was among the countless who were heartbroken after his demise in March 2022.
Being from Victoria, Warne was honored by the MCG as they unveiled a 300 kg bronze statue in 2011 to commemorate all of his incredible achievements. With 708 scalps, the spinner finished as Australia's highest wicket-taker in Tests, second-highest overall, and played a huge role in revolutionizing the art of wrist spin, inspiring several players, including Yadav.
The left-arm spinner posted a few images of him standing alongside the statue at the iconic venue.
"Bowling Shane…. Always & Forever," Kuldeeep Yadav captioned the post on X.
Kuldeep Yadav has been traveling in his off-period. He attended the Euro 2024 final in Germany following Team India's success at the 2024 T20 World Cup. He had accurately predicted the result of the contest in favor of Spain over England.
The spinner was recently seen in the ODI series against Sri Lanka away from home, which Team India lost by a 2-0 margin.
Shane Warne has had a huge influence on Kuldeep Yadav's career
Kuldeep Yadav has previously spoken about how Shane Warne influenced him. The left-arm wrist spinner made his Test debut against Australia in Dharamshala in 2017. He picked up his maiden five-wicket haul away from home during India's tour of Australia in 2018-19, at the same venue where Warne made his Test debut, the Sydney Cricket Ground.
"I was very nervous before the match. He came to me and said, ‘I don’t know how you’re going to bowl in this match. But I just want you to be happy on the ground. Just do it with a smile.’ I remembered that and when I took a fifer (in Sydney), I dedicated it to him. He had tears in his eyes," Kuldeep Yadav had said on Breakfast with Champions.
"I feel I am very lucky to have spent some time with him and to have been his good friend. I used to watch him on the television and observed how he used to dismiss batters and his planning," Kuldeep Yadav said in an International Cricket Council column last year. (The Economic Times)
Yadav will next be seen in Team India's home season, beginning with a Test series against Bangladesh.