Kuldeep Yadav contemplated suicide at the age of 13

The chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav has stormed into the international scene in style and has impressed everyone so far in his short career. The youngster is one of its kind in the cricketing arena when it comes to left-arm wrist-spin bowling. He has already earned heaps of praise from the greats of the game and has a bright future. However, Kuldeep himself has admitted that he thought of quitting the game altogether and also contemplated suicide in frustration at the age of 13.

Kuldeep has made giant strides at the highest level and has already become a crucial player for the Men in Blue both in whites and coloured clothing. Recently, he left the Indian fans awestruck by picking up a sensational hat-trick against Australia at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Though few former cricketers still believe that the bowler has to work hard and keep his feet grounded to achieve the success in his career. Kuldeep also has realised that he needs to work hard continuously to stay in contention for the national side.

Why did he think of suicide?

Kuldeep Yadav admitted that he contemplated suicide at an early age of his cricketing career when he wasn’t picked in the Uttar Pradesh U-15 side. “I had worked hard for my selection, but when I was not picked, I mentioned suicide in frustration. It happens to everyone in the heat of the moment,” he was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times. He also informed that his father wanted him to become a cricketer and he was one of the bright students in his school.

“I was a meritorious student in school and wanted to play cricket just for fun. I never thought of making it my vocation. In fact, my father wanted me to play cricket and took me to the coach. I always wanted to become a seam bowler, but my coach forced me to become a spinner. When I bowled a few balls (Chinaman), I was asked to make it a habit. Otherwise, I didn’t know I was bowling something different,” the 22-year-old added. Kuldeep idolises Australian legend Shane Warne and revealed that he keeps watching his videos while practising in the nets. He also spoke about his debut game against Australia in Tests.

“I keep watching videos of Warne. His grip of the ball, length of deliveries and use of the crease are unbeatable. I try to learn from the footage. It was a pressure game. It was the series decider. I was bowling alongside Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja. I felt at ease only after bagging four crucial wickets,” the Uttar Pradesh spinner concluded.