Spinner Kuldeep Yadav’s memorable Test debut against Australia at Dharamsala has given rise to a school of thought that the youngster should be protected from the Indian Premier League, where he plays for Kolkata Knight Riders. However, the franchise’s skipper, Gautam Gambhir, said that pressure will only make him better, reported PTI.
Gambhir, who has led KKR to two IPL title wins, opined that the left-arm wrist spinner will be taking confidence from his India debut going into IPL. “I am very happy for him [Kuldeep] and would love to see him playing all three formats of the game,” Gambhir said. “I am sure his progress in [the] Dharamsala Test match will give the momentum, which he will bring into the IPL this season.”
When asked if Kuldeep needs to be kept away from IPL, where a few bad matches can be a confidence dampener, Gambhir said, “I don’t think so as pressure makes you a better human being and cricketer as well. What is the point in having the talent and not testing it in different circumstances or across different formats.”
Gambhir urged the 22-year-old tweaker to emulate some of the yesteryear Indian greats in balancing their workload across different formats. “Anil bhai [Kumble] was a rare breed, so was [Virender] Sehwag, Yuvraj [Singh], [Sachin] Tendulkar, Virat Kohli – these cricketers don’t need any protection. They needed a challenge,” Gambhir said.
Kuldeep will be competing with stalwarts such as Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hasan and West Indies’ Sunil Narine for a spot in the team. Gambhir, though, had reassuring words for India’s latest Test debutant. “I hope he can finish the tournament with a Purple Cap,” he said. “Need I say more.” Kuldeep till date has played 27 Twenty20 matches in his career. which includes both IPL matches for KKR as well as Syed Mushtaq Ali national T20 matches for Uttar Pradesh.