"KKR weren't taking the tournament seriously"- Kuldeep Yadav frustrated with lack of chances

[Ankit_sharma03]

Kuldeep Yadav has established himself as one of the best spinners in India at the moment. Although he hasn't got consistent chances for the Men In Blue across formats of late, there has understandably been healthy competition for places in the spin department.

However, his IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have also been depriving him of consistent chances over the past couple of seasons, something that has raised quite a few eyebrows.

In an exclusive chat with Sportskeeda, Kuldeep Yadav opened up on his lack of chances, what he feels is going wrong at KKR, his goals for the Sri Lanka tour, and much more.

 

Kuldeep Yadav made his debut for KKR under the captaincy of Gautam Gambhir. The former KKR skipper backed the wrist spinner as his number one match-winner and it showed in the way Kuldeep bowled.

In the Champions League as well as the IPL, Kuldeep Yadav was one of Gambhir's go-to men in tough situations. The wrist-spinner picked up 18 wickets in 15 games under Gambhir for KKR.

 

However, as Gambhir moved on, KKR consistently started to finish outside the top four. Kuldeep Yadav also began to get fewer chances and it affected his confidence. He didn't hold back while talking about the mindset of the new KKR team compared to that at the time of Gambhir at the helm.

"When you watch international cricket, you see that there's that hunger within Virat Kohli to do well and take the team forward and win. When Gauti bhai played for KKR, even he had the same mindset that the team should win. Then I think KKR were lacking in that regard and weren't thinking in that way, or maybe they weren't taking this tournament seriously or thinking about their approach if they lost games. These things matter a lot and I think those things were missing," Kuldeep Yadav opined.

In the past three IPL seasons, KKR have finished in the top four just once. They have constantly underperformed and have fallen short of ideas when it comes to wicket-taking.

Despite KKR's struggles, Kuldeep Yadav played just 14 games and wasn't backed by either the captain or the team management. The 26-year-old is yet to play a single game in the IPL 2021 season and has been hurt by the treatment he has received from the team. He stated:

"Somewhere it does feel unfair that when you play for India but you still don't get to play franchise cricket. You do feel bad but there is nothing you can do, you can only work hard and ask for reasons. When you do ask for reasons you get some explanation but maybe the kind of backing that I was expecting from KKR I didn't get. The kind of trust Gauti bhai showed in me, maybe I didn't get that in this team."

With the T20 World Cup set to be played in India later this year, as well as the next edition of the tournament in Australia next year, Kuldeep Yadav has his eyes set on the Sri Lanka tour. He feels if can make the most of his chances, he might feature in at least one of the two showpiece events.

"If I do get a chance on the Sri Lanka tour or in the second half of the IPL then I will be able to make an impact in the T20 World Cup. And there is another World Cup next year Down Under, so it's not that this is my last chance. I might be effective in Australia if I get a chance," Kuldeep Yadav signed off.

Link - https://www.sportskeeda.com/cricket/news-kkr-taking-tournament-seriously-kuldeep-yadav-frustrated-lack-chances-exclusive

[neel roy]

Deliberate ploy to get himself out of kkr next season.. burning bridges.. i guess he has been indeed treated shabbily. With 10 teams next season he ll be one of the top picks.. 

[BacktoCricaddict]

1 hour ago, neel roy said:

Deliberate ploy to get himself out of kkr next season.. burning bridges.. i guess he has been indeed treated shabbily. With 10 teams next season he ll be one of the top picks.. 

Seems a bit high-maintenance.  But, he has proven that he is worth the maintenance costs.  Hope he gets it together.

[kirkutfan]

Maybe he does well in Sri Lanka and then KKR gives him a second look during the last half of the season…

 

[raki05]

18 hours ago, Ankit_sharma03 said:

Kuldeep Yadav has established himself as one of the best spinners in India at the moment. Although he hasn't got consistent chances for the Men In Blue across formats of late, there has understandably been healthy competition for places in the spin department.

However, his IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have also been depriving him of consistent chances over the past couple of seasons, something that has raised quite a few eyebrows.

In an exclusive chat with Sportskeeda, Kuldeep Yadav opened up on his lack of chances, what he feels is going wrong at KKR, his goals for the Sri Lanka tour, and much more.

 

Kuldeep Yadav made his debut for KKR under the captaincy of Gautam Gambhir. The former KKR skipper backed the wrist spinner as his number one match-winner and it showed in the way Kuldeep bowled.

In the Champions League as well as the IPL, Kuldeep Yadav was one of Gambhir's go-to men in tough situations. The wrist-spinner picked up 18 wickets in 15 games under Gambhir for KKR.

 

However, as Gambhir moved on, KKR consistently started to finish outside the top four. Kuldeep Yadav also began to get fewer chances and it affected his confidence. He didn't hold back while talking about the mindset of the new KKR team compared to that at the time of Gambhir at the helm.

"When you watch international cricket, you see that there's that hunger within Virat Kohli to do well and take the team forward and win. When Gauti bhai played for KKR, even he had the same mindset that the team should win. Then I think KKR were lacking in that regard and weren't thinking in that way, or maybe they weren't taking this tournament seriously or thinking about their approach if they lost games. These things matter a lot and I think those things were missing," Kuldeep Yadav opined.

In the past three IPL seasons, KKR have finished in the top four just once. They have constantly underperformed and have fallen short of ideas when it comes to wicket-taking.

Despite KKR's struggles, Kuldeep Yadav played just 14 games and wasn't backed by either the captain or the team management. The 26-year-old is yet to play a single game in the IPL 2021 season and has been hurt by the treatment he has received from the team. He stated:

"Somewhere it does feel unfair that when you play for India but you still don't get to play franchise cricket. You do feel bad but there is nothing you can do, you can only work hard and ask for reasons. When you do ask for reasons you get some explanation but maybe the kind of backing that I was expecting from KKR I didn't get. The kind of trust Gauti bhai showed in me, maybe I didn't get that in this team."

With the T20 World Cup set to be played in India later this year, as well as the next edition of the tournament in Australia next year, Kuldeep Yadav has his eyes set on the Sri Lanka tour. He feels if can make the most of his chances, he might feature in at least one of the two showpiece events.

"If I do get a chance on the Sri Lanka tour or in the second half of the IPL then I will be able to make an impact in the T20 World Cup. And there is another World Cup next year Down Under, so it's not that this is my last chance. I might be effective in Australia if I get a chance," Kuldeep Yadav signed off.

Link - https://www.sportskeeda.com/cricket/news-kkr-taking-tournament-seriously-kuldeep-yadav-frustrated-lack-chances-exclusive

He is acting like cry baby to hide his inability or lack of performance. He should focus on his performance, in international also whatever chances he gets has nothing to showcase. He has been simply found out due to him being slower through the air. 

[Vickydev]

4 hours ago, raki05 said:

He is acting like cry baby to hide his inability or lack of performance. He should focus on his performance, in international also whatever chances he gets has nothing to showcase. He has been simply found out due to him being slower through the air. 

Well said. Needs to get on with the job and keep his gob shut for now

[kohli]

Nowadays he is talking too much 

[ShoonyaSifar]

15 minutes ago, Vickydev said:

Well said. Needs to get on with the job and keep his gob shut for now

Their coach goes around publicly criticising Gill and Rana. Can't expect players to keep quiet. Shows a broken team setup. Reflects in their decisions (mid-season captaincy changes and poor performances)

 

Also, if KKR do not have faith in Kuldeep, they should have released him for the last auctions. Out of the 35 matches, they have played since 2019, Kuldeep has played only 14 matches. Yes his performance has dipped. But if the team is not going to play him, better to release him.

[putrevus]

Why should KKR release him, it is completely upto them. Kuldeep has stunk instead of owning it he is trying put the blame on KKR which is ridiculous. He is getting another chance in SL, let us see what he can deliver.

[ShoonyaSifar]

No franchise should be allowed to destroy a young cricketer's career. A cricketer is not a franchise's bonded labour. I'm glad he's spoken out against the KKR management. Takes a lot of guts to do this when his contract is worth 5.8 cr/ year and he may not even get half of this money in the auctions

 

Should do the same for the Indian TM as well which kept him on the bench for nearly 6 months without giving him much game time. He was kept in a dressing room where he was unwanted, all in the name of working on his game when he should have been allowed to play domestic cricket (VH trophy and Mushtaq Ali Trophy) to regain his confidence. In my opinion, he should not have been picked for SL as well (he would not be playing head of Chahal, Krunal and Varun). Let him be on his own for the next 6-8 months away from the limelight.

[Vickydev]

On 6/13/2021 at 5:19 PM, ShoonyaSifar said:

 

Also, if KKR do not have faith in Kuldeep, they should have released him for the last auctions. Out of the 35 matches, they have played since 2019, Kuldeep has played only 14 matches. Yes his performance has dipped. But if the team is not going to play him, better to release him.

Its a team sport. KKR dont have to release anybody if they deem them to be good enough to be part of their squad, play a game here or there and/or worse if they dont want their rivals to have him, whatever might be the reason. He has a contract and is getting paid for it. He was bought at an auction, if others wanted him then should have paid more for him. If it is so bad he can drop out and play county or something. Nobody owes him anything

 

 

Edited June 14, 2021 by Vickydev

[ShoonyaSifar]

26 minutes ago, Vickydev said:

Its a team sport. KKR dont have to release anybody if they deem them to be good enough to be part of their squad, play a game here or there and/or worse if they dont want their rivals to have him, whatever might be the reason. He has a contract and is getting paid for it. He was bought at an auction, if others wanted him then should have paid more for him. If it is so bad he can drop out and play county or something. Nobody owes him anything

 

 

He doesn't own them anything either. KKR were the ones who outbid others to have him in their team. They used right to match to get him in 2018. After benching him for most of 2020 IPL, They were the ones who did not release him in January 2021, (when they released 5 other players). And then they go onto bench him for 7 back to back games two months later. Looks deliberate. If a player feels he is being denied opportunities to play, and in this case this has gone on for the 3 seasons in a row now, cannot expect the player to keep quiet and see his career getting destroyed. Happens all the time in club sport.

 

Like I said the easier option for him is to be quiet and keep getting the 5.8 cr contract money each year. But that could cost him his career in the next 12-18 months. Better to move to a franchise where he will have more regular opportunities. 

 

 

[putrevus]

It is good that he wants to play rather than just and get his money. But the problem is instead of saying , I will work hard and wait for my chances, he pushed KKR managment under the bus. KKR management has one of the best management in IPL, they always have invested in Indian youth giving chances to Mavi, Gill or Nagarkoti even though he was out injured.

 

Soon he will find himself not having an IPL contract. IPL teams are not there to serve these youngsters.

[Vickydev]

10 minutes ago, ShoonyaSifar said:

He doesn't own them anything either. KKR were the ones who outbid others to have him in their team. They used right to match to get him in 2018. After benching him for most of 2020 IPL, They were the ones who did not release him in January 2021, (when they released 5 other players). And then they go onto bench him for 7 back to back games two months later. Looks deliberate. If a player feels he is being denied opportunities to play, and in this case this has gone on for the 3 seasons in a row now, cannot expect the player to keep quiet and see his career getting destroyed. Happens all the time in club sport.

 

Like I said the easier option for him is to be quiet and keep getting the 5.8 cr contract money each year. But that could cost him his career in the next 12-18 months. Better to move to a franchise where he will have more regular opportunities. 

 

 

Lol..these are professionals, noone goes out of their way to destroy someone else's career especially if they are paying so much for him. KKR have been giving the likes of Nagarkoti a lifeline through his injuries, why would they want to do that to Kuldeep. 

 

His performances since that bashing by Moeen in 2019 havent been good enough to keep out Varun or any of the 4 young pacers fighting among themselves for a spot. Even Lockie isnt getting enough games, one of the best ARs of this generation in Shakib gets dropped, Narine is in and out. Dont see them cribbing. Its a team sport. And thats how IPL is supposed to be, competition for spots is paramount. As I said, they dont owe him anything

[Ankit_sharma03]

I wud have respected him more had he come out n said i had some issues and i looked to work on it. These franchises spend crores n crores so they cant afford to be non serious cause with such money being involved their is accountability. 

Under same franchise Varun. C has done well to earn an Indian Cap. They put in a lot of money n effort in you over the years so they wont let you go easily, they send him to camps abroad when his fitness wasnt good, got brad hogg as a player and one of the reason was to help kuldeep. KKR is a very good franchises for youngsters....very few wud have kept faith in Nagarkotti n Mavi when they bought them knowing its for 3 yrs and they were injured for 2 yrs. Yet they were supported. 

How many captain, coaches can you blame ??

[TheWall]

Rather than try and get back to firm, he us becoming an embarrassment...

[Lord]

19 hours ago, putrevus said:

It is good that he wants to play rather than just and get his money. But the problem is instead of saying , I will work hard and wait for my chances, he pushed KKR managment under the bus. KKR management has one of the best management in IPL, they always have invested in Indian youth giving chances to Mavi, Gill or Nagarkoti even though he was out injured.

 

Soon he will find himself not having an IPL contract. IPL teams are not there to serve these youngsters.

 

That won't happen.Other franchisees will lap him up

[Lord]

8 minutes ago, TheWall said:

Rather than try and get back to firm, he us becoming an embarrassment...

 

how does he prove he's back in form sitting on the bench all the time

[putrevus]

1 hour ago, Lord said:

 

how does he prove he's back in form sitting on the bench all the time

By doing well in the chances he gets , that is how any player gets back into form. I understand luck is needed to some extent but in his case it is beyond luck. It is his skills which have not progressed , people have found a way to tackle him and it is upto him to come up with answers. Guy like Mendis should be warning to Kuldeep once he was sorted out, he was never the same again. 

 

He looked lost in the  last test match he played  and no one is againt him. Kuldeep and Chahal were preferred over Ashwin and Jadeja but it is their failures which have opened the doors for likes of Jadeja again. Jadeja was sitting on the bench for most of the world cup, did you hear any nonsensical excuses coming out from his mouth. He did his best in matches he played and excelled as a subsitute fielder. Jadeja is one of the best allrounders in the game.

 

Kuldeep might not have played many matches but he sure has been practising with teams and teams know if he has shown any improvement. So this notion that he has to play matches to get practice is wrong.

 

Young players have to constantly work on their game and try to evolve .That is not happening with Kuldeep.Unmukht Chand ( who some geniuses on here think was as good as Kohli) was writing books and giving speeches sharing stages with legends like Kapil Dev and Dravid while  skipping training camps.We all know how it ended for him.

 

I am all for  players expressing their views and frustrations but players have to take responsibility for their failures too. When that goes missing , it is all downhill from there.

Edited June 15, 2021 by putrevus

[Lord]

3 minutes ago, putrevus said:

By doing well in the chances he gets , that is how any player gets back into form. I understand luck is needed to some extent but in his case it is beyond luck. It is his skills which have not progressed , people have found a way to tackle him and it is upto him to come up with answers. Guy like Mendis should be warning to Kuldeep once he was sorted out, he was never the same again. 

 

He looked lost in the  last test match he played  and no one is againt him. Kuldeep and Chahal were preferred over Ashwin and Jadeja but it is their failures which have opened the doors for likes of Jadeja again. Jadeja was sitting on the bench for most of the world cup, did you hear any nonsensical excuses coming out from his mouth. He did his best in matches he played and excelled as a subsitute fielder. Jadeja is one of the best allrounders in the game.

 

Kuldeep might not have played many matches but he sure has been practising with teams and teams know if he has shown any improvement. So this notion that he has to play matches to get practice is wrong.

 

I'm just talking of IPL

 

Surely as a current India player,he should be getting more chances for a franchise.He hasn't played any game in last two IPL IIRC.

 

Its a case of too many options at KKR.As I said other teams will lap him up and then he'll have more opportunity to show his form

 

At India level,Chahal too has been sucking for two years now but gets constant chances.Even in SL he will be the main spinner while we could have used the opportunity for youngsters.