'The Sri Lanka tour, then IPL, will be very important for me': Kuldeep Yadav hopeful of making India's T20 WC squad

Team India leg spinner Kuldeep Yadav believes that if he performs in Sri Lanka, he could potentially make the cut for the T20 World Cup squad.

India spinner Kuldeep Yadav has endured a frustrating and tough phase of almost 9 months now. He has gone from being a regular member of the India team to going out of favour. The latest snub includes the Indian team travelling to England, for the World Test Championship (WTC) final against New Zealand and a five-match Test series against England, without the left-arm spinner.

File Photo of Indian bowler Kuldeep Yadav during a practice session at the Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. (PTI)

However, things are looking on the brighter side for Yadav again as he been named in India's squad for the Sri Lanka tour. Under the guidance and mentorship of Rahul Dravid, the 'Men in Blue' will play three ODIs and as many T20Is in July. Kuldeep, while speaking to ANI, said that if he performs in Sri Lanka, he could potentially make the cut for the T20 World Cup squad.

"To be very honest, frustrating wouldn't be the correct word, as a player you are sad because you want to perform, you want to play the match. You can think like that, individually but not with cricket. Cricket is a team sport, and you have to play as per the requirements of the team. You have to think about the team and team combination matters a lot so it's better to stay positive, keep putting in efforts, and wait for your opportunity to perform. Team combination for me has always been good, all have been supportive," said Kuldeep.

The 26-year-old has been left frustrated with the lack of game time Before IPL 2021 was postponed, Kuldeep did not feature in a single game. Last season as well, in the UAE, the 26-year-old played just five matches; bagging one wicket and returning with an average of 92.

That's not it. Kuldeep, despite being in the Test squad for the Australian series Down Under, did not get a single game. Fast forward to the four-match Test series at home against England, he got a chance to play the second Test in Chennai. He picked up 2 wickets in that encounter, which also happened to be the first Test since India's 2018/19 tour of Australia.

So, does Kuldeep Yadav hope to make the T20 World Cup squad?

"For T20, nothing more than performance matters if you have to make space for yourself in the team. There is the Sri Lanka tour, then IPL, it will all be very important for me. I hope that I perform well to take place in my team. If I perform well in both the tournaments then hopefully, I'll get a place in the T20 World Cup team," Kuldeep explained.

The Indian team has assembled in Mumbai, where they will be serving a quarantine period before flying out to Sri Lanka.