Delhi Capitals’ spinner Kuldeep Yadav, who is currently part of the Indian squad for the ICC T20 World Cup, engaged in a candid conversation about his revival, World Cup dream, aspirations beyond cricket and much more in Episode 2 of the DC Cafe.
The wrist-spinner revealed how he emerged as Kuldeep 2.0. He said, “I never thought I’d change drastically over the last couple of years. When I joined DC in 2022, I did come in with changed skills, but I needed that confidence. I still remember when I met Ricky on the first day, he hugged me properly and said, we wanted to have you in our team. I know your skills. Don’t worry about anything, and I will ensure you play all the games. So, Ponting helped me gain confidence, he used to give me ideas in training sessions. Rishabh as well, he is my brother, has always trusted me, and gave me full support.”
He further added, “However, I worked a lot with Watson. I bonded strongly with him; I used to share everything, even when I wasn’t playing well. I used to talk for hours with him in his room during the IPL . He used to ask me about everything I was uncomfortable with, and I used to open up freely to him. He has played a big role in this. I still have notes from those conversations on my phone, and I rewind those before I play matches. I share an excellent bond with him. He has played a huge role in my revival.”
As India gears up for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, the 29-year-old said, “It’s my dream to win the World Cup for India. This is my first T20 World Cup. I’m 29 years old and expect to play for as long as possible. Winning the World Cup is a long-term goal, and there’s a bigger process behind it. If you’re playing for India for a long time, you’ve got to win a World Cup. I think trophies do matter in the end, and you’re playing to win the trophies. So winning the World Cup is my only dream.”
