On Monday, Indian chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav expressed that playing the entire Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy will help him to do well in the limited overs series in South Africa. Kuldeep will leave for South Africa on January 24 for the limited overs series, said he expects that good domestic season will pay him rich dividends in South Africa.

As quoted in Scroll, Yadav said, “So far it has been good. I have played the full T20 season (Syed Mushtaq Ali). My rhythm is good so hopefully, I will be able to continue bowling well there (in South Africa) as well. Every game here is important to an individual and as a team. The team needs you and it is a matter of pride to play for the state always. The state has given you everything so I came to play. It also gives you good match practice as you get to play against big players.”

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When asked if the young spinner is ever afraid of leaking runs, Kuldeep replied, “You will leak runs in T20 cricket. T20 is all about how many wickets you take. Wickets help the team in this format. When there is a score of 230 plus on the board, you know the opposition will go for runs. I always look to take wickets and not restrict runs. If I look to restrict runs, I can end up conceding more maybe.”

Looking much fitter, Yadav said it’s all about staying fit to live up to the demands of the team led by Virat Kohli. He said, “When you are playing for India you have to be fit. Also if you want to survive for a long time, fitness is very important. I have been working a lot on my fitness for the last two years.”

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The young chinaman bowler didn’t shy away from accepting the fact that he is looking forward to playing for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in Indian Premier League (IPL) as they brought him to the limelight. Despite the fact that KKR didn’t opted to retain Yadav, he has set a base price of INR 1.5 crore for the IPL auction this weekend, dropped enough hints that he may be back with the option of Right to Match Card.

Talking about his stint with KKR, Yadav concluded, “It’s been five years with KKR. It is like family and this is like a home ground for me. I know the angles from where to bowl and I am well-versed with the wicket as well. I don’t feel pressure here as I have played here for five years. This has been a lucky ground for me.”