Team India’s spin bowling coach Sairaj Bahutule has praised Kuldeep Yadav as a player every team would want to have because of his unique skills as a left-arm wrist-spinner as well. Claiming Kuldeep as a matchwinner, he added that his county stint with Yorkshire helped him in his preparations for the ongoing ODI series against the West Indies. Notably, Kuldeep was named Player of the Match for his stunning bowling figures of 4-40 from 10 overs as India thumped the West Indies by eight wickets in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday, September 27 as well.
Speaking at a press conference ahead of the second ODI, he said: “He is a player every team would want because he is always lively, both on and off the field. At the same time, his unique skills help us perform in different conditions. Being a wrist-spinner, he definitely adds value to the team. Kuldeep has always been a match-winner for India. He has performed exceedingly well, and his numbers also show that.”
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“He works extremely hard at his game. There are certain aspects where he feels he needs to improve, so he goes into the nets and works on them. At the same time, there are aspects he is very confident about because he has been a part of this team for years. He also recently had a county stint, where he bowled a lot of overs, so he comes into a series well prepared,” he further added.
The first ODI against the West Indies on Sunday was also Ravindra Jadeja’s comeback to the 50-over format. He was dropped after a poor home series against New Zealand at the start of the year. Bahutule, however, added that Jadeja remains in the mix for the ODI World Cup as well.
“For me, Jadeja has always been a utility player. He is somebody who can contribute with the bat as well as with the ball. He has definitely improved as a bowler over the last six months. I thought he bowled really well in the Test matches in Sri Lanka. Now, in the ODIs, it is just his first game after a long period, but he has done well. With Axar [Patel] also being around, as the tournaments and series progress, we will be able to assess whose performances and abilities can be of greater utility. But Jadeja, with his batting skills and experience, is definitely doing well. I am sure he will be looked at in the coming time,” he concluded.
