That Kuldeep Yadav took up spin bowling after harbouring fast bowling ambitions as a kid is well known. Ever since he turned into a chinaman bowler – a rather rare commodity – life has changed for the 19-year old.
From bowling to the local boys at the nets in a silent corner in Kanpur to brushing shoulders with the best in the business in the Indian dressing room, Kuldeep has come a long way. Ask him about his dream-come-true moment, of being a part of the Indian team, and his eyes sparkle like those of a 5-year old in a toy shop.
There is a lot spoken about Kuldeep the cricketer but there is very little we know about Kuldeep the person. Does he have a 3AM friend? Who does he turn to for advice on and off the field? What’s more to the young lad with a soft voice and a welcoming smile? We tried to find it out during the recent India-West Indies ODI series, where Kuldeep was enjoying his first taste of the national setup.
The young man spoke about his first experience of being in the national change room and how he was welcomed by its current habitats. With warm fondness in his voice, he talked about one member of the team – his confidante, his role model and a friend he can talk to anything about cricket and beyond – Suresh Raina.
Here are snippets from Kuldeep Yadav’s exclusive interview with BCCI.TV
Q: How fresh is your memory of walking into the Indian dressing room for the first time?
Kuldeep Yadav: It is an outstanding feeling to be a part of the Indian team. I still remember the first time I walked towards the team; everyone greeted me with a lot of kindness and welcomed me with open arms. They spoke to me and that first team meeting is still fresh in my mind. It felt great and the atmosphere was very different to other dressing rooms that I had been part of.
How different is the Indian dressing room from the others?
KY: The dressing room atmosphere and the cricketing sense amongst the U-19 boys and the senior players is a touch different. You realise that you don’t have a second chance if you make mistakes at the senior level. The moment you make a mistake when you get a chance here, there will be fewer chances of making a comeback. In the U-19 level you can make a comeback because there you still have the time to develop your talent. I want to do well for India and make the most of the opportunities I get in the Indian jersey. Little things like bowling at the nets to big players make a big difference. When I bowl to MS Dhoni at the nets, he always asks me to bowl according to a bowling plan; which in turn helps me to learn something new. Virat Kohli and the rest of the batsmen too have been equally supportive.
You are just 19. Did you ever visualise yourself in the Indian dressing room at such a young age?
KY: To be very honest I never imagined myself being a part of this Indian side so early on in my career. But having said that, this is the age when your talent gets noticed if you are good and I did feel that I could belong here. When I started playing cricket I never set myself long term goals. I always believed in taking one step at a time. When I was playing junior cricket I had told myself that I want to be a part of Team India by 2016, via my state and zonal teams. These were the small goals I had in life. Even now I have set myself only small goals. It is good to think about the future but it is important to take small steps towards the road to success.
While playing the IPL I didn’t dream about setting the stage on fire, I only thought about playing one game for my team and then the focus was on fitness and the Champions League T20. During the Champions League I was mentally preparing myself for the Ranji Trophy season and now that I am a part of the senior side I have that vigour to do well playing for India as and when I get an opportunity.
How important is this phase in your cricketing career?
KY: For me this is a very important phase in my life. The more games I watch and the more conversations I have with the senior players in the side, the more mature I will get. It is a huge thing to be a part of the Indian team and I am learning a lot by just being among this bunch. These are the things that one can only learn being inside the dressing room. As a youngster this is the biggest learning curve in my cricketing career so far.
When you got named in the national side, who was the first one to congratulate you?
KY: Suresh Raina was the first person from the Indian team to call me when I got selected. I received a call from Raina bhai within ten minutes of the news. It was a great feeling to see his name flashing on my phone. I then met Raina during the final of the Champions League T20 and that is the same time I met our captain MS Dhoni as well who congratulated me. It felt great to see the support of the senior players in the team.
When was the first time you met Suresh Raina?
KY: I met Raina for the first time in 2012, when I was in the Ranji Trophy one-day side. From that time Raina used to keep a keen eye on me and give me some important inputs on my game. He used to advise me and would take care of me like a little brother. Even now in the Indian dressing room he takes good care of me which is very comforting. He is like a role model to me because I do what he says. There are a lot of good things that he tells me and supports me in whatever I do. I really like the environment he creates amongst the whole dressing room. He is really friendly and it feels great to have someone like him in the dressing room.
What kind of camaraderie do you share with him?
KY: I have a lot of conversations with Raina as a friend and as a player. He makes me understand a lot of things about my own bowling because I have bowled quite a lot in the nets to him. He talks to me about making plans to get batsmen out and what are the things I am lacking and need to improve upon. He is a very jovial character and along with talks about cricket we share a lot of laughs off the field. I enjoy his company and it is good to see a senior player taking keen interest in your game. He is always ready to show you the right path which makes it easy in the dressing room.
You spoke about the CLT20 final. He went severe on you in that game. What kind of a chat did you have after the game?
KY: After the CLT20 final I went back to the dressing room and thought where I went wrong and how Raina got the better of me. I had worked out my plans on how to bowl to him but it just didn’t click at that time. This is something that happens when a batsman is in form and your mind doesn’t work towards that plan. When a batsman is making a conscious effort to play you well, you know that you are bowling well. I wasn’t too dejected because I did believe I bowled well. There were a few changes that I could have made and maybe Raina wouldn’t have been as severe as he was that night. I spoke to him after the CLT20 final and told him ‘Raina bhai kya batting ki hai’ (you batted really well) but in turn he told me that I was bowling well. I joked with him and told that I almost got him out and he agreed. He accepted that it was his day and every ball was hitting the middle of the bat.
Apart from cricket what do you both talk about?
KY: Off the field we speak a lot about our respective families. Since he has played for UP and played a lot of matches at Kanpur, we relive all those times we were together during those days. We often talk about going back and reliving a few memories from the recent past.
Will you be nervous when you get a chance to walk out on the field representing India?
KY: I think I have the talent to bowl well and people have taken notice of it. When I get an opportunity to play I don’t think I will be under pressure. Pressure mounts only when you are an established cricketer and people begin to expect a lot from you. As a youngster, I might get a bit nervous but I know that feeling will fade off when I bowl my first over and spend some time on the field.
