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I was lacking in basics last season: Kuldeep

By The Assam Tribune

NEW DELHI, April 26: India spinner Kuldeep Yadav says he was �lacking in the basics� last season owing to playing too many games, leading to an IPL that could have been better than how it turned out.

He said he didn�t plan enough last time and having learned his lesson, the chinaman bowler was �100 per cent sure of success� in IPL 2020 whose fate hangs in balance because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

�I was fully prepared for this IPL 2020 and I had planned a lot. I was 100 per cent sure that this IPL would be a success,� Kuldeep was quoted as saying in Kolkata Knight Riders website.

Asked about last season, Kuldeep spoke about why he struggled to get going.

�When I came into IPL, I didn�t give myself enough time to train. The biggest learning from 2019 was that I did not plan for the season.

�There was a lot of cricket in 2019, especially international cricket. I joined the team just three days before the IPL started. So the planning wasn�t good. The involvement wasn�t good either. And that is very important,� he said.

�I don�t think the last IPL was all that bad for me. I bowled very well. But a leg-spinner�s success is based on the number of wickets he picks. I didn�t manage to pick many wickets, but my economy was good.�

The lack of wickets dented his confidence, the spinner said.

�When you don�t pick wickets your confidence drops a bit. Then there was a game where I went for a lot of runs. So my confidence level dropped,� Kuldeep admitted.

�I was lacking in the basics. Playing a lot of cricket affects your basics.

�If you are in regular touch with your coach then your basics won�t be affected.�

He heaped praise on former KKR captain Gautam Gambhir and bowling consultant Wasim Akram, saying they had a �big influence� on his career in his early years at the Knight Riders.

�Gauti bhai (Gambhir) had a huge influence on me from the start of my stint at KKR. He always spoke to me a lot. Not only during the time he was at KKR, but even after that, over these last two years,� Kuldeep said.

�He always kept me motivated. When you get that kind of confidence from your captain, it becomes a huge plus point for any player. It helps you remain confident, and that translates into good performances.� � PTI

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