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Team India bowling coach Morne Morkel showered praise on Kuldeep Yadav ahead of the side's opening match of Asia Cup 2025. Kuldeep, who hasn't featured for the Men in Blue in the shortest format since the T20 World Cup final last year, has been picked in the side's 15-member squad for the upcoming continental tournament.
The left-arm spinner had been selected in the squad for the five-match England Test series as well, but wasn't included in the playing XI in any game. Kuldeep will be hoping that the same doesn't happen in the Asia Cup especially because of the fact that the tournament is being held in UAE and the conditions are likely to favour the spinners more than the seamers.
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With India set to begin their Asia Cup campaign on September 10 with the clash against UAE, Morkel labelled Kuldeep as a 'professional athlete' and highlighted how he practiced hard during the England tour despite not getting any game-time.
“I think he is a very professional athlete. His attitude since England, where he received hardly any game time, he is still the guy that put the overs in," Morkel told reporters on Monday.
“And for me, Kuldeep, like I said, he has bowled a lot of overs in his career. He knows what to do to get himself ready for T20s, white-ball cricket. And like I said, we can control only what we can control now and that is when we do train now and when we have our sessions, that it is focused, that there is a purpose behind it and we have goals," he added.
Meanwhile, Kuldeep was recently seen in action for Central Zone in Duleep Trophy. The left-arm spinner featured in the playoff against North East Zone, but failed to impress in both the innings. The 30-year-old failed to pick up any wicket in the 32 overs he bowled during the match and failed to make an impact.
Morkel's take on the UAE clash
On the other hand, Morkel also shared his remarked on India's opening match against UAE and stated that they will not be taking any team lightly during the tournament.
'They have come a long way with their cricket and have been playing a nie brand of cricket as of late. We are excited for the challenge and definitely won't be taking them lightly. But for us, the focus is on what we can control - our intensity, our execution. Yes, we will analyze their strengths and weaknesses, but at the end of the day, it is about the brand of cricket wee want to play, " Morkel stated.
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