Once branded as India's No. 1 overseas spinner by Ravi Shastri, Kuldeep Yadav's stocks haven't hit the momentum they were expected to after the first couple of years of his career. Though Kuldeep is gradually making a comeback in white-ball cricket, he still remains far from being given an opportunity in Tests. Ravichandran Ashwin, who continues to remain a huge pillar for India in the longest format, however, has big hopes from Kuldeep in the format.
In a video on his YouTube channel, Ashwin said that he has always rated Kuldeep highly when it comes to wrist spinners. In fact, it is the Chinaman spinner's ability to bowl at 'repetitive lengths' that has impressed the off-spinner a lot. In the video, Ashwin pointed out that this ability of Kuldeep is what reaps big rewards in Test cricket.
"I have always felt this about Kuldeep Yadav when we talk about wrist spinners. He has got this amazing feature to bowl the repetitive lengths that are required to do well in the long format.
"He can land in a particular spot whenever he wants, and that's a fantastic quality for a wrist spinner. That's a massive value for a wrist spinner," Ashwin said in the video.
Kuldeep is a part of the Indian squad that is currently engaged in an ODI series against South Africa. In the two ODIs so far, Kuldeep produced figures of 1/39 and 1/49. He isn't a part of the Indian team for the T20 World Cup 2022 but will have his eyes on the 2023 ODI World Cup squad for sure.
The left-arm wrist-spinner aspires to become an important player for the Indian team in all three formats but still has a long way to go before he achieves such a stature in the team.