A few good games for the Indian team can make Kuldeep Yadav a certain pick in the ODI World Cup 2023 : Maninder Singh

In IPL 2022, Kuldeep Yadav's renaissance run, bowling quicker and blooming with confidence while picking 21 wickets for Delhi Capitals was a very heartening sight. Many expected for his glittering run to continue in India's T20I series against South Africa in June.

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But a hand injury kept him out of the series as well as from the trips to Ireland and England as well as the ODIs against the West Indies. He finally got a chance in the fifth T20I against the West Indies at Lauderhill, taking three scalps in a superb bowling show where spinners took all 10 wickets.

Former India left-arm spinner Maninder Singh believes Kuldeep's recent great showings have been a huge positive and if the left-arm wrist-spinner continues to put in consistent performances, he can be in India's squad for the ODI World Cup next year in the country.

"Kuldeep Yadav's performance had started to go down. But the way he made a comeback while playing for Delhi Capitals this year, it was showing that he had worked hard. Seeing a player's expressions when on the field and body language is enough to say that the player had worked hard when coming back to playing cricket. The great performance he had for Delhi Capitals and the confidence he got from there was there to see on the field in the (recent) international cricket match (fifth T20I against West Indies)."

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"I still think he needs to perform consistently and if he does that constantly on the field, then he can be in the ODI World Cup which will happen in India in 2023. He brings a different variety as he's a left-arm chinaman (wrist-spin) and has the knack of picking wickets when he started out in international cricket, which is very important in the middle overs to stem the run-rate of the opposition," said Maninder in an exclusive interaction with IANS organised by Sony Sports Network.

Maninder further called Kuldeep's recent performances as a huge positive, especially when he had gone out of favor due to a mix of lean form and knee injury sustained while being with Kolkata Knight Riders during the second half of IPL 2021.

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"This is a very big positive as, according to me, the way he was fading and was not handled well, it felt as if a talented bowler could be lost. Because of this, I had made one-two comments previously that if he stays away from T20 cricket, it would be better for him. But this can`t happen, you can just think about it as a lot of money is involved and a player needs money in life for security. He has worked hard because of which he has got great results."