IPL has no connection to the World Cup: Virat Kohli confident Kuldeep Yadav will deliver for India

Of the few concerns surrounding a settled Indian team ahead of their World Cup opener is the form of Kuldeep Yadav. Considered to be India’s biggest wicket-taking weapon, going by the numbers of the last couple of years, the wrist-spinnner’s lack of confidence was a worry.

But the Indian captain Virat Kohli lent his weight behind under-fire Kuldeep ahead of their World Cup opener against South Africa on Wednesday.

After having a poor Indian Premier League season with Kolkata Knight Riders, where he was dropped for the fag end of the campaign, Kohli believes there’s no reason to panic.

“Look, personally, I would tell you something. I have had great IPL seasons and I have entered playing for the country and I have felt like I’m going to dominate this tournament so much and you can’t put bat to ball,” said Kohli.

“So every tournament, every game that you play has no connection to what you have done in the past. You can only take out the positives and the learnings and take it to the next tournament or game that you play. Whether you have done well in the IPL or you haven’t, you still have to work hard. And to me, IPL has no connection to the World Cup.”

Since the 2017 Champions Trophy final defeat, Kuldeep has taken 87 wickets for India: in the last two years, no one comes close to him in that list around the world, with teammate Yuzvendra Chahal occupying the second position with 67 wickets.

“Mentally, skill-wise, yes [there is a certain impact]. If you have played well, you want to stay in the same zone and look to do the same things, but he’s [Kuldeep] a guy who has done so well in the last two years. I don’t think three or four games of a T20 tournament will do anything to harm his confidence, or hamper his confidence,” Kohli said.

“We know when he pitched the ball in the right areas the batsman has to make better decisions or you are walking out. That’s been a strength. And he’s back to bowling at his best. We saw that in the second game. In the nets he is bowling well, attacking the stumps, his variations are spot on, he is pitching the ball in the right area. So I see batsmen having to take better decisions against Kuldeep rather than the other way around.”

To lend weight to Kohli’s observations, Kuldeep looked threatening in the second warm-up match against Bangladesh, picking up three wickets to set-up a comfortable win.

Kohli also reflected on what India’s XI could be like in the nine league matches through the tournament. The 30-year-old praised Ravindra Jadeja for his performances in the warm-up games.

“Jadeja has been outstanding. Understanding his abilities fully, really grabbing all the opportunities that have come his way, especially in Test cricket also, the way he is batting with a lot of maturity is a great sign for the team.

“We selected a side [squad] that gives us all kinds of options depending upon the conditions we are going to play in. Somewhere you might see three seamers, somewhere two wrist-spinners, somewhere you might see a wristspinner and a finger spinner playing together,” he said.

“That is why we selected the most balanced side we could have selected and Kedar is doing well, he is back to full fitness. Kedar is batting in the nets now, he is hitting the ball well, so it is always nice to have him back in the mix because of the variety he brings into the side.

“So whenever he steps into the team, we know we have a guaranteed template of performance that Jadeja brings to the side in the field, with the ball and with the bat as well. I think we are equipped to handle all kinds of conditions here.”

Not taking South Africa lightly

Elsewhere, South Africa were dealt a major blow with Dale Steyn being ruled out of the tournament due to an injury. The Indian team has had its fair share of injury problems as well in the run-up to the World Cup.

“Look, injuries are a part of the game and these things can’t be predicted and I’m sure any team that gets hit with injuries is never a good thing, but still South Africa is a very talented, a very dangerous side on their day and even with the replacements, they will be a very strong side,” said Kohli.

“So we never take anyone lightly and whether a few key players get injured or not, if a youngster is stepping in and he has the right mindset, he can really perform on the day, so I think we need to maintain respect for that and really approach the game, focussing on our strength and what we can do as a side.”

The talismanic Indian batsman expressed relief at finally getting to play in the tournament, having watched all the other teams go about it over the past week.

“It’s been a while since we have been here. I think it is a bit of an advantage, I have to say, in terms of understanding how the games have gone, what the conditions have to offer, what the overcast conditions bring into play when the sun is out,” he said.

“It’s a totally different ball game altogether what the conditions are at 10.30 in the morning compared to afternoon. And what is the pace of play, when you see other teams playing and what the approach is. So I think from that point of view, we have a lot to absorb. We have a lot to learn from, looking at the other teams play, the teams that have done well, what have they done well and in what phases?

“From that point of view, we would say that we have a lot of positives that we can take out of starting after everyone else. And look, whether a team has played before or not, it really wouldn’t matter on the day. It depends on how the side turns out, what kind of mental set-up they have and we have to be mentally and skilfully stronger than the opposition whoever we play to win on the day, so I think our focus will be that,” Kohli said.