When Kuldeep Yadav played the first ODI against England at Pune, it was only his eighth match in seven months. After a torrid IPL (92 runs and one wicket) where he played just five games in UAE in September-October, Kuldeep warmed the bench for seven Tests (four v Australia and three v England), eight T20Is (three v Australia, five v England) and two ODIs (v Australia). His wait finally ended when he was picked for the first two ODIs v England at Pune, but both outings were nightmarish. He gave away 68 runs off nine overs in the first and 84 off 10 in the second, remaining wicketless on both counts. He was dropped for the third ODI.

As soon as he returned home to Kanpur, Kuldeep headed to train at his childhood coach and mentor Kapil Pandey’s academy at Rovers Club. After an intense training session on Wednesday before leaving for his IPL campaign with KKR, mid-day spoke to Kuldeep, discussing his form and future.