Former India player turned veteran commentator Aakash Chopra believes talented India spinner Kuldeep Yadav will have a crucial role to play for India with the ball in the ODI World Cup later this year and the T20 World Cup next year as well. Kuldeep registered 3/28 in four overs as India beat the West Indies in the third T20I in Guyana on Tuesday, August 8 as India chased down the 160-run target with seven wickets and 13 deliveries to spare as well.
During a discussion on JioCinema, Chopra said: “It is absolutely back and he is doing slightly different things. I am trying to think a liitle ahead. We are going to play the T20 World Cup in the West Indies itself. In these conditions, you will need a bowler who keeps you in the game by picking up wickets. The way T20 is played, it is important that you pick up wickets constantly. If you have a wicket-taking bowler, especially in the middle overs, he is gold dust. He is anyway doing well in ODIs, so his role in the upcoming 50-over World Cup will also be extremely crucial.”
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Aakash Chopra further added that batters can drive the game easily in the middle overs in ODI cricket also. He said that the left-arm wrist-spinner has enough skills to trouble the batters and pick up wickets in the 50-over format as well.
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“It was an important over because we have seen what Nicholas Pooran can do once he starts firing. Today also he played an amazing sweep as a right-hander and he dismissed that player. India didn’t have too many options left other than Kuldeep from the spin-bowling perspective. Chahal had one over left and the rest was all pace. You were expecting that pace will come and trap Pooran. Pooran hits spin but let’s not forget he is a West Indian. They will play medium pace better than how they play spin. The ball doesn’t reverse swing here as it is only a 20-over game,” Aakash Chopra concluded.
