'Should've been promoted to Grade A' - Childhood coach disappointed with Kuldeep Yadav's Grade B contract

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) recently announced the central contracts for the Indian men's cricket team, sparking many discussions and debates as some noteworthy alterations were made. As some players saw advancements in their contract statuses, a few also witnessed regressions from their contracts of the preceding year.

Indian spinner Kuldeep Yadav was awarded a Grade B BCCI central contract, an upgrade from last year's Grade C. However, his childhood coach Kapil Dev Pandey asserts that the star spinner's performances should've earned him a Grade A contract.

Kuldeep's journey in international cricket speaks volumes about his talent and dedication. Representing India across all three formats for the past seven years, including a multitude of World Cups, the 29-year-old has been a consistent performer, often delivering crucial breakthroughs with his crafty left-arm wrist-spin.

Also read: 'Left-armed Shane Warne' - Michael Vaughan heaps praise on Kuldeep Yadav after Ranchi spin clinic

He is delivering tremendously: Kuldeep Yadav's childhood coach

Despite his commendable contributions to the team's success, the spinner finds himself in the Grade B bracket, a move that his coach believes does not do justice to his caliber. Among the Grade B contract recipients, only Axar Patel plays all the three formats on a consistent basis.

The others included in the same bracket are Yashasvi Jaiswal, Suryakumar Yadav, and Rishabh Pant. The contrast becomes clearer when examining the contracts of other players. While Kuldeep has been a regular player across all formats, players such as Hardik Pandya, who play in only two formats, have been handed a Grade A contract.

Also read: Why BCCI released Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer but retained Hardik Pandya in central contracts list?

“Kuldeep is perhaps one of the best in the world at the moment. He should have been promoted to Grade A. He has been performing consistently well, but I am sure he will achieve that place soon," Kapil Dev Pandey was quoted as saying by Inside Sports.

Acknowledging Kudeep's tremendous performances whenever presented with the opportunity, the coach advised Kuldeep to keep his focus only on the game without getting perturbed by external occurrences. “Whatever opportunity he is getting currently, he is delivering tremendously. I spoke to him a few days back and told him to keep up the spirit and don’t bother about anything else and focus only on the game."