"He is emotional and gets hurt quickly" - Mohammad Kaif lauds Kuldeep Yadav's comeback

Mohammad Kaif has said that Kuldeep Yadav is emotional as he lauded the spinner for bouncing back brilliantly after a prolonged lean period.

Kuldeep followed his first-innings spell of 5-40 with figures of 3-73 in Bangladesh's second innings of the first Test against India in Chattogram. His eight-wicket haul helped KL Rahul and Co. register a comprehensive 188-run win to take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.

During a discussion on Sony Sports, Kaif was asked about his thoughts on Kuldeep's match-defining performance, to which he responded:

"He needs a senior guy who supports him. He has gone through tough times. He is emotional and gets hurt quickly. He was with KKR (Kolkata Knight Riders) and didn't get opportunities. Then he was released, and the Delhi Capitals picked him in the IPL, and (he) bowled well there."

The former Indian batter added that the 28-year-old needs emotional support when he's going through tough times, elaborating:

"Kuldeep Yadav had to improve for sure; he is an extremely class bowler. But when he is down, he needs a guy who puts his arm on his shoulders, whether it is a coach, manager or a senior player who does that job."

Kuldeep was dropped from India's limited-overs side after an indifferent World Cup campaign in 2019. He was laid low by form and injury-related issues subsequently and was also benched by Kolkata Knight Riders for nearly two Indian Premier League seasons. The left-arm wrist-spinner, though, turned things around with a few match-winning performances for Delhi Capitals in the IPL this year.

---

"How you come back is important" - Mohammad Kaif on Kuldeep Yadav's five-wicket haul

Kuldeep Yadav was chosen as the Player of the Match for the Chattogram Test. (P/C: Twitter)

Kaif pointed out that the ability to stage a comeback defines a person. Lauding Kuldeep Yadav for his five-wicket haul in the first innings, he said:

"He has made a good comeback. How you come back is important. There was a phase of two years that went bad; he wasn't playing Tests regularly and was probably not bowling that well in white ball cricket, and he didn't get the support also."

The cricketer-turned-commentator highlighted that the Player of the Match award is a significant moment for Kuldeep. However, he reckons the left-arm wrist-spinner will continue to be behind Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja in the pecking order, observing:

"The Man of the Match Kuldeep Yadav got today is a huge moment in his Test career because you will always remain behind Ashwin and Jadeja. Your place is still not assured. If they play two spinners against Australia, Jadeja will play if he is fit along with Ashwin. You are still the third spinner. So the challenge will remain."

Kaif concluded by saying that it's a big accomplishment for Kuldeep to pick up five wickets in the first innings on an unhelpful track. He added that the first innings performance gave India the ascendancy in the game.