Umesh Yadav says people took notice of him for his KKR performance

Umesh Yadav could return to action for India (PC: Twitter)

Umesh Yadav is poised to make a return to India’s white-ball setup after a wait of more than three years. The cricketer was recently drafted into the ‘Men in Blue’ squad for the upcoming T20I series against Australia, replacing COVID-19 contracted Mohammed Shami.

Ahead of his comeback series, the speedster talked about how his stints with KKR and Middlesex kept him busy and match-ready at a time when he was left out from the national side.

Umesh Yadav credits his KKR performance for comeback

Yadav recently interacted with Vimal Kumar on the latter’s YouTube channel. The speedster said that when he was not playing for India, he kept himself busy through training sessions and via his domestic commitments.

He played for the KKR in IPL 2022 and performed exceedingly well, claiming 16 wickets in 12 games for the franchise. Yadav also landed a County stint with Middlesex, where he took 16 wickets in just seven Royal London One-Day matches.

He added that he always kept himself in the rhythm, which has helped him regain a spot in the national squad. The 34-year-old said:

“I did not play any white-ball cricket after playing for RCB in IPL 2020. I was doing well, practicing well, but I did not get the chance. No one was aware of how I was doing in the nets. Everyone got to see how well I was doing when I got a chance with KKR in IPL 2022. People got to understand that I was not just relaxing in the off season.”

“You could say that I was lucky, because not many matches were happening in India because of the rain, so got lucky with the Middlesex offer. I knew that only practicing and not playing any matches won't amount to anything. When you play, your body remains in that environment, your muscles stay loose and you are more agile.”

The Indian team, under Rohit Sharma, will now face Australia in three T20Is between September 20 and September 25. The first match will be played at Mohali.

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