'Ever since Mahi bhai left, Chahal and I haven't played together': Kuldeep Yadav on 'guidance' given by MS Dhoni

Kuldeep Yadav admitted that he misses the guidance of former India captain MS Dhoni.

There was a time when the duo of Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal made for the two first-choice spinners for India. Both spinners had a knack of picking up wickets in tandem, and the pair of Chahal and Kuldeep would often pip Ravindra Jadeja and R Ashwin to be in the playing XI in limited-overs cricket.

Kuldeep Yadav misses MS Dhoni's guidance from behind the stumps. (Getty Images)

But things have changed since last year. Kuldeep and Chahal have struggled and their performances have dipped. The two India spinners often find themselves out of the playing XI. In fact, Kuldeep, who had an insipid series against England at home earlier this year, was not picked in the squad for the England tour.

In a recent interview, Kuldeep admitted that he misses the guidance of former India skipper MS Dhoni. The former wicketkeeper-batsman was an integral reason behind the success of 'Kul-Cha'. Dhoni was often seen suggesting bowling plans to the pair from behind the stumps, and he would often back them when chips were down.

"Sometimes I miss that guidance because he (Mahi) has great experience. He used to guide us behind the wicket, kept screaming! We miss his experience," Kuldeep said in an interview with Indian Express.

"Rishabh is there now, the more he plays, the more input he will give in the future. I always felt every bowler needs a partner who can respond from the other end," Kuldeep added.

"When Mahi bhai was there, I and Chahal were playing. Ever since Mahi bhai left, Chahal and I haven’t played together. I played only a handful of games after Mahi bhai left," he further said.

"I must have played ten-odd games. I had even taken a hat-trick. If you look at the performance as a whole, it will look pretty decent but if one breaks it up then my performance sometimes can look not up to the mark," he signed off.