WI vs IND 2023: Kuldeep Yadav is gold dust, his role in upcoming World Cup extremely crucial: Aakash Chopra

Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra has tipped Kuldeep Yadav as gold dust and feels the wrist spinner’s role in the forthcoming ODI World Cup will be extremely crucial. Yadav has been in great form in the recent past and he is going to hold the key for the Men in Blue.

Yadav returned with figures of 3-28 in his quota of four overs in the third T20I against the West Indies at Providence Stadium, Guyana on Tuesday, including the big wicket of in-form Nicholas Pooran. Furthermore, he accounted for a well-settled Brandon King and Johnson Charles.

Yadav also became the fastest Indian bowler to take 50 T20I wickets in 30 matches and the second fastest from Test-playing nations after Ajantha Mendis.

Meanwhile, Yadav has scalped 141 wickets in 84 ODI matches at an average of 26.55 and he could play a major role in the ODI showpiece. The wrist spinner has also drastically improved his performances in the 50-overs format in the last couple of years.

“It is absolutely back and he is doing slightly different things. I am trying to think a little ahead. We are going to play the T20 World Cup in the West Indies itself. In these conditions, you will need a bowler who keeps you in the game by picking up wickets,” Chopra said on Jio Cinema.

“The way T20 is played, it is important that you pick up wickets constantly. If you have a wicket-taking bowler, especially in the middle overs, he is gold dust. He is anyway doing well in ODIs, so his role in the upcoming 50-over World Cup will also be extremely crucial,” he added.

The former KKR batter also showered praise on Kuldeep Yadav for his fine performance in the third T20I against the Windies.

“It was an important over because we have seen what Nicholas Pooran can do once he starts firing. Today also he played an amazing sweep as a right-hander and he dismissed that player. India didn’t have too many options left other than Kuldeep from the spin-bowling perspective. Chahal had one over left and the rest was all pace. You were expecting that pace will come and trap Pooran. Pooran hits spin but let’s not forget he is a West Indian. They will play medium pace better than how they play spin. The ball doesn’t reverse swing here as it is only a 20-over game.”

The fourth T20I between these two teams will be played on Saturday at Central Broward Regional Park Stadium Turf Ground, Lauderhill, Florida.