Disappointed that people are not able to manage 'gifted' Kuldeep Yadav: Mohammad Kaif
Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif has reproached the poor management of India and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) spinner Kuldeep Yadav.
Kaif argued that the left-arm wrist-spinner is a 'gifted' bowler and a rarity in international cricket who needs to be looked after with care.
He exuded hope that his former teammate and head coach for the upcoming limited-overs series in Sri Lanka, Rahul Dravid, will do just that.
"All eyes will be on Kuldeep and (Yuzvendra) Chahal because both are brilliant bowlers. I feel disappointed sometimes that people are not able to manage Kuldeep because as a chinaman, he possesses a special quality. It's not everyone's piece of cake to bowl chinaman, it's a gift. I think we all must look after him. I am sure Rahul Dravid will do that job in Sri Lanka," said Mohammad Kaif in a press conference on Wednesday.
Kuldeep Yadav is fighting for his place in all formats. Once touted as India's first-choice overseas Test spinner, he is now behind three off-spinners in the pecking order in the longest format.
He last played an ODI in March and struggled profoundly with his lines and lengths.
Meanwhile, Kuldeep Yadav hasn't played a T20I or IPL game since early 2020 and currently isn't among India's first-choice picks for the forthcoming T20 World Cup.
The Sri Lanka series thus comes as a straw, which the 26-year-old needs to grasp and hold on to at any cost.
Kuldeep Yadav has made a brilliant start to the tour
In what would be a major confidence booster, Kuldeep Yadav got off on the right foot in the island nation. In the second intra-squad practice match, he picked up at least three wickets, outfoxing his opponents in flight and dip.
India will hope that he revels further under Dravid and Shikhar Dhawan and finds his old mojo to regain his place in India's T20 squad as well as the KKR team.