Uttar Pradesh’s left-arm chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav, who has had a fine run with Kolkata Knight Riders in the current Champions League, has been selected in the Indian squad for the first three ODIs of the five-match series, that will be held at Kochi (October 8), Delhi (Oct. 11) and Visakhapatnam (Oct. 14).
The selectors, who picked the team here on Saturday, finalised a 14-member outfit led by M.S. Dhoni with the highlights being Yadav’s inclusion and the ‘resting of R. Ashwin’, according to the BCCI press release issued by board secretary Sanjay Patel.
Among other changes were the return of leg-spinner Amit Mishra and dropping of Dhawal Kulkarni, Stuart Binny, Sanju Samson and Karn Sharma, who were part of the limited-over squad on the England tour.
PTI reports from Kanpur:
Living a dreamHe was heartbroken when the Uttar Pradesh team management did not find him fit to be considered for the Ranji Trophy playing XI last season, but today he just wants to move on.
“Today is the day my parents have been rewarded for the sacrifices they have made. My parents and childhood coach consoled me after I was ignored for the Ranji Trophy. I started working harder,” Kuldeep said.
“When (Sunil) Gavaskar sir praised me (in a recent column), it boosted my confidence and I felt like putting twice as much effort.
“I feel as if I am living a dream, I never knew that at the age of 19 I would be playing for India,” said Kuldeep.
Humble backgroundKuldeep’s father Ram Singh Yadav is the owner of a brick kiln and they live in a rented apartment having shifted from their native village in Unnao so that Kuldeep could pursue his dreams.
“Kuldeep’s talent came to light when I admitted him to a coaching camp. Once I knew that he was destined for bigger things, I decided to shift to Kanpur, where there are better coaching facilities. Today, the sacrifices my wife and I made have borne fruit,” a teary-eyed Ram Singh said.
Meanwhile, UPCA president Rajeev Shukla congratulated the young spinner and his family on his selection. “This is great news for UP cricket. I am confident Kuldeep will perform for the country just like Suresh Raina and Bhuvneshwar Kumar,” Shukla said.
The team: M.S. Dhoni, Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, Virat Kohli, Ambati Rayudu, Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, Amit Mishra, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Mohit Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Murali Vijay and Kuldeep Yadav.
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