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‘This can be my last World Cup': Out-of-favour India star targets IPL 2023 to make 'comeback in ODIs’
The 35-year-old has been part of India's plans in the red-ball format but has been sporadically used when the format shifts to limited overs.
The upcoming season of Indian Premier League (IPL), which gets underway from Friday, will be crucial for many India stars, who are fighting to cement their spot in the World Cup squad. The marquee event will be played in India in October-November this year. With the team struggling with a few injury concerns and the World Cup being a few months away, a good performance in the IPL could help a player's case to represent India at the World Cup.
Veteran pacer Umesh Yadav, who represents Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), is one among the many stars, who have a similar target heading into the edition. “The ODI World Cup is played after every four years and this can be my last opportunity to be a part of it. So I need to do well in IPL and make a comeback in ODI format," Umesh told Aaj Tak in an interview.
“As I said the World Cup comes after every four years and I'm not sure if I'll be around then. Hence I want to make this season count and not wait for another four years,” he added.
Umesh, who is currently 35, has been part of India's plans in the red-ball format but has been sporadically used when the format shifts to limited overs. In fact the last time Umesh played an ODI was over four years back.
Meanwhile, spearheading KKR's attack in 2022 Umesh did make his presence felt as he scalped 16 wickets from 12 encounters at a decent economy of 7.06. Impressing the selectors with his effort, Umesh was also recalled in the T20 side and featured in the series against Australia and South Africa as a last moment injury replacement. However, he made just one single appearance each in both the series.
"Guys like Umesh, Shami don't need to be playing a particular format to succeed at it. They have proven themselves. It's the quality. Young guys need to prove but not them. If they are fit and available they will be called back. We don't need to look at form. We saw how well Umesh Yadav bowled in the IPL. He bowled pretty well. He gives us option to use upfront with the new ball, swings the ball, bowls fast so not a much debate about him," Team India skipper Rohit Sharma had then said about the pacer's comeback in the white-ball format.
