Haven't thought that far but T20 World Cup remains at the back of my mind: KKR pacer Umesh Yadav

Express pacer Umesh Yadav is having a good outing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022. Representing Kolkata Knight Riders, the right-arm pacer has bowled some fiery spells with the new ball and has scalped the wickets of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ruturaj Gaikwad among others. Yadav would want to perform well in the remainder of IPL and open the doors for selection for the all-important T20 World Cup in Australia later this year.

To note, the pacer last played white-ball cricket for India in February 2019 in a T20I match against Australia in Visakhapatnam. However, he has not got many chances after that. The express pacer was picked by the two-time champions in IPL 2022 mega auction for INR 2 crore.

I prefer setting small goals: Umesh Yadav

“I haven’t thought that far (WC). It will all depend on the selectors and the team management. India will play several white-ball matches before the mega event and I have to first make it to those squads and keep performing there. Of course, the World Cup remains at the back of my mind, but as a cricketer, I set small goals and try to achieve those in phases,” Yadav said during a conversation with the Times of India.

“I always believed in keeping things simple. I have not done anything special, but have kept working on my weaknesses in between and focused on my strengths,” the 34-year-old said about his preparation in the run-up to this IPL. In IPL, you need to have a big heart as there is every possibility of being hit someday. But it’s important not to lose your focus and keep a strong mind,” he said.

Talking about Yadav’s numbers in IPL, the right-arm pacer has played 127 matches in which he has scalped 129 wickets at an average of 29.01. He will be seen in action against Rajasthan Royals (RR) in KKR’s next group stage match on April 18 (Monday).