The young Indian spinner, Kuldeep Yadav has indicated that his love of football has helped him to remain fresh in the mind throughout the lows and the highs of his cricket career. He asserted that playing another team sport has enabled him to have a bigger picture view, particularly at times when he was not in the playing XI.
The 30-year-old left arm wrist-spinner has excelled in the current Asian Cup 2025. He scored 4/7 and 3/18 against hosts UAE in Dubai and Pakistan respectively and owed back to back match win performances. It is a powerful recovery only a few weeks after he had spent the whole of five Tests series in England on the bench.
Speaking ahead of India’s final group game against Oman in Abu Dhabi, Kuldeep was asked whether football had helped him deal with tough times. He admitted it has, explaining that the sport keeps him motivated and offers a refreshing balance outside cricket.
“100 percent. If you follow other sport, you get to know how it feels when a team is performing really well and you see the bench strength of the team. They have some unbelievable bench strength and you focus on them. They are not getting enough time – 15 minutes or 20 minutes, but they are so good players, they can start in any game.”
The Indian spinner went into further detail on how watching football has aided him in developing as a cricket player:
“You see how the big teams play and when they play against small teams, how they react. The communication and final decision making is so quick. I play cricket on the field; that’s my job. After that, I just enjoy football. There are so many games, you just watch them and enjoy. You just watch and admire them, especially in team games – the communication and how they lift each other.”
Kuldeep admits to being a Liverpool and Barcelona supporter. However, on India’s tour of England, he was spotted wearing the Manchester United colors at a cross-sport event.
“I feel my rhythm is good” – Kuldeep Yadav
Kuldeep has appeared to have excellent rhythm everytime he has played, despite his recent fluctuations in the starting lineup. The 30-year-old acknowledged that it is difficult to return to the playing XI after missing a few games, but he said that video analysts and other support personnel have kept him in fine bowling shape.
“When you don’t play, you think about stuff like your release point and finish. But, with the help of video analysts, you get a fair idea of how you are bowling. As of now, I feel my rhythm is good. When I made changes to my bowling, at the start, I needed some time to adjust, but now I have got used to it.”
Kuldeep Yadav
Kuldeep Yadav is the top wicket-taker for Team India in the 2025 Asia Cup. He has taken seven wickets in two games at an economy rate of 4.05. His average is 3.57.
