Indian spinner Kuldeep Yadav, who made his Test debut against Australia in 2017, visited the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) and paid tribute to his idol, the late Shane Warne.
Yadav is currently on a short family trip in Melbourne. While there, he posed with the statue of Warnie, outside the stadium.
Reflecting on the moment, Kuldeep said, “Shane Warne was my idol, and I had a very strong connection with him. I still get emotional when I think about Warnie — it feels like I’ve lost someone from my family.”
Kudeep Yadav initially started as a fast bowler when he joined a cricket academy in Kanpur, but his coach, Kapil Pandey, encouraged him to switch to the more uncommon left-arm wristspin. He quickly developed solid control over his length and mastered a potent wrong’un among his variations, which set him apart as one of the few left-arm wristspinners in India.
The most successful left-arm wristspinner in IPL history, Kuldeep Yadav toured the Cricket Australia (CA) headquarters, where he was greeted by CEO Nick Hockley in an online interaction. Cricket Australia gave Kuldeep an overview of the upcoming Australian summer, highlighting the excitement surrounding the tours of both India and Pakistan to Australia this year.
Kuldeep expressed his enthusiasm, stating, “It’s great to be here at Cricket Australia’s headquarters and the iconic MCG. I’m looking forward to the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, and we’re anticipating a great cricket contest between Australia and India this year.”
Acknowledging the support of Indian cricket fans in Australia, he added, “India cricket fans always support the team around the globe, and I’m confident they will come in big numbers for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, especially during the Boxing Day Test.”
Kuldeep gained attention after impressive performances at the Under-19 level. He made his debut for India U-19 in April 2012 as a 17-year-old, consistently taking wickets though remaining under the radar until the 2014 U-19 World Cup in Dubai. His standout moment came with a hat-trick against Scotland, following a wicketless opening game against Pakistan. He finished the tournament with 14 wickets, the joint second-highest, which justified Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) investing $66,000 in him during the IPL auction before the World Cup.
Although Kuldeep was part of the Mumbai Indians setup in 2012 and impressed in nets by bamboozling Sachin Tendulkar with his wrong’un, he didn’t debut in the IPL until his stint with KKR. After impressing in the Champions League, he was included in India’s ODI squad for the series against West Indies in October 2014. He also made his first-class and List A debuts shortly thereafter.
Kuldeep Yadav made his Test debut in March 2017 against Australia in Dharamsala, taking 4 for 68 in the first innings. Over time, he established himself in the Uttar Pradesh and India A teams.
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