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Cricket Players'When I joined KKR people understood...uske pehle kisiko pata nehi chala: IND star's dig at critics over T20I selection
Post his selection in the Indian team, the star cricketer has taken a dig at critics, reminding them of his stint at KKR
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) earlier this week, left fans and experts puzzled over the selection of a veteran cricketer for the impending series against Australia at home which begins from Tuesday onwards in Mohali. Mohammed Shami was all set to make a return to T20I side ahead of the T20 World Cup where he has been named in the reserves, but the star pacer tested positive for Covid-19 owing to which he was ruled out of the series. BCCI hence Umesh Yadav as his replacement, who hasn't played a T20I in over three years, hence raising eyebrows. But the India star has taken a dig at critics post his India selection.
Since making his debut in the format in 2012, Umesh has played only seven T20I matches for India, the last being in 2019, also against Australia at home. Subsequently, his white-ball participation reduced as well as he managed to make only two appearances in the 2020 IPL season and missed out on the next season.
Speaking to journalist Vimal Kumar post his selection, Umesh revealed that he was doing well in the nets, which he remarked that no one was aware of that, despite getting limited opportunities in white-ball cricket. He added that people understood his value when he arrived at KKR ahead of IPL 2022 and scripted a memorable season.
"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. Uske pehle kisiko pata hi nehi tha (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," he said.
Umesh had gone unsold in the first round at the IPL mega auction earlier this year before being picked in the next round for INR 2 crore by KKR. He repaid the faith with a stunning performance with the ball, especially in the powerplay, and finished the season with 16 wickets in 12 matches.
Umesh had continued his run for Middlesex in the Royal London Cup whwere he picked 16 wickets in seven matches which included a fi-fer as well.
"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. I was enjoying my county stint, the weather in England is good," he added.
