Kuldeep Yadav realises his dream of meeting his childhood idol Shane Warne

Kuldeep Yadav is the only chinaman bowler available in the country and the left-arm spinner conceded that he took up cricket only to emulate his childhood idol, Shane Warne. So when Team India head coach Anil Kumble promised Kuldeep a meeting with his idol Shane Warne, he was overjoyed and couldn’t contain his excitement as both of them walked towards Warne.

“Shane Warne is the reason why I started playing cricket and took up bowling. I used to bowl fast initially, but I switched to spin looking at videos of Shane Warne,” Kuldeep was quoted as saying by bcci.tv. “As a kid, I would get amazed looking at his bowling style and his ways of getting wickets. He has been an idol for me and to be honest, I still have his bowling videos on my phone,” he added.

Kuldeep was thrilled to meet his childhood hero but conceded that there was a hint of luck involved as Warne is a part of the commentary crew for the Test series between India and Australia. “I didn’t know he would be here. I actually saw him on TV and asked Anil Kumble sir if I could meet him and talk to him during the tea break or after the end of day’s play. Our coach gladly agreed and I couldn’t believe that the moment of truth was just around the corner.”

Warne greeted Kuldeep warmly by giving him a hug and also added that he has been keeping an eye on Kuldeep’s performances. “When I walked towards him, I couldn’t believe that I was standing in front of him. He greeted me with a warm smile and it felt very heartening to see a legend embrace you in that manner. It was a great experience. I asked a lot of things about my bowling and the different ways to use my variations effectively. He felt very confident about my bowling and said he had been following my performances of late. Those words are like gold for me,” Kuldeep was quoted as saying by the Deccan Chronicle.

Also read: Stats: Batsmen who have played most international innings between two ducks

Kuldeep and Warne had a long chat regarding the nuances of leg spin bowling where the youngster got several tips from the legend. Warne had a terrific flipper up his sleeve during his playing days and Kuldeep didn’t want to miss knowing that from him. “I want to bowl the flipper like him and he gave me his advice. He said it is a difficult delivery to bowl and requires a lot of practice. I will be practising it in the nets along with Anil Kumble sir,” Kuldeep said.

Getting some valuable tips from Warne and to have Anil Kumble as the head coach will surely help Kuldeep develop as a more matured bowler. “It was a dream to be standing with (bowlers with) more than 1300 wickets by your side,” he quipped. “As a youngster, I couldn’t have asked for anything more. Shane Warne and Anil Kumble talking to you about spin bowling is huge and I will cherish this for the rest of my life. I never thought that I would be acknowledged by two legends of the game and talk about spin bowling to them. I have no words to express this feeling right now,” Kuldeep concluded.

“As a youngster, I couldn’t have asked for anything more. Shane Warne and Anil Kumble talking to you about spin bowling is huge and I will cherish this for the rest of my life. I never thought that I would be acknowledged by two legends of the game and talk about spin bowling to them. I have no words to express this feeling right now,” Kuldeep concluded.