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Abhishek Nayar reveals Kuldeep Yadav practised bowling on sand and changed his run-up to excel in the Asia Cup, crediting his childhood coach.
Kuldeep Yadav is currently the highest wicket-taker in the Asia Cup (Picture credit: AP)
Former India cricketer and assistant coach Abhishek Nayar has revealed that in recent times, Kuldeep Yadav has practised bowling on sand, where the ball would stop a bit, adding that he changed his run-up as well to ensure he is effective on Dubai pitches in the continental tournament.
Kuldeep has been in outstanding form in the Asia Cup, claiming Player of the Match awards in both victories for India.
During an interaction on Sony Sports, Nayar said that Kuldeep went through hard times, but his childhood coach made things easier for him.
“Maine baat cheet ki thi unse ki kya kiya tha unhone. Woh kaafi interesting hai kyunki woh ret pe gendbaazi karte they jahan pe pitch banaya nahin hai, taaki vahan pe gend jo ruk ke aati hai, vahan tez daalenge toh unko aur bite milega (I spoke to him. It’s exciting, he used to bowl on sand where the ball stops. He bowled with speed to gain more bite),” Nayar said.
“That is one thing. He (Kuldeep) also changed his run-up; the angle at which he ran he made it straight. Also, he jumped a bit too much before, which has changed, allowing him to transfer a lot more momentum,” Nayar added.
The former India assistant coach said that although there were a bunch of critics, Kuldeep had the support of his childhood coach who knew how to keep the star Indian spinner in the mix and ready for success.
“Aur kaafi log kaafi kuch keh rahe the. But you always have a coach, jo aapko bachpan se jaanta hai (A lot of people were saying plenty of things. But when you have a coach, who you know from the beginning, it is easier),” Nayar said.
“He helped Kuldeep and whatever you are seeing is the result of his hard work,” the former India assistant coach added.
September 16, 2025, 09:16 IST
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