Kuldeep Yadav has been one of the unsung heroes for India in the ongoing Test series against England, which the hosts lead 3-1 with a game left to play. The left-arm wrist spinner has picked up 12 wickets in four matches, despite being somewhat underutilised by India captain Rohit Sharma. The 29-year-old has been an abled deputy to veteran spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, who have done most of the damage with the ball in the ongoing series.
Kuldeep was a regular under Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni's leadership, but struggled to find game time after the 2019 World Cup.
His Team India future took a huge hit in 2021 when a leg injury sidelined him for months after undergoing surgery.
Former India bowling coach Bharat Arun revealed the then head coach Ravi Shastri's advice to Kuldeep.
"This puppy fat you have na has to be melted away boss! I can't think of a single reason with improved fitness that you won't become a world-class Test bowler," Arun revealed in an interview with the Indian Express.
Arun hailed Kuldeep for the insane amount of hard work he has put after recovering from injury.
"It seems rather silly to say this but that injury, I think, gave him no option but to get fitter. He had to do all the hard rehab work, shed himself of that puppy fat, to continue his dream of playing cricket. And he has obviously worked a lot on his bowling - that energy through the crease is a standout feature now. It allows him to increase pace without sacrificing turn, loop, drift," he added.
On the perception that Kuldeep didn't play much during his time as the management wanted him to bowler quicker, Arun suggested: "Any bowler can bowl quicker - that was never the point. It had to be done without sacrificing turn, loop and dip. And it was always about the energy through the crease. The ultimate result is a visible increase in pace. Not the other way around. Not going there and firing the ball. None of us are idiots! It was about being patient and working hard."
Kuldeep managed to turn around his fortunes since the tour of Bangladesh in late 2022.
He is likely to keep his place in the fifth and final Test against England in Dharamsala, starting Mach 7.