INTERVIEW: ‘Kuldeep Sen is Something Good That Has Happened to Indian Cricket’

‘Consistency is the key!’

This is a quote often heard, but nothing could be truer and more practical than this. It’s the only gateway to success, no matter which phase of life you are in. There’s no rocket science behind it. It’s just that one has to believe in the process and stick to the basics; things will start to fall into place itself.

Same goes with Madhya Pradesh’s Kuldeep Sen who recently received his debut ODI cap from one of the modern-day stalwarts and the current Indian skipper Rohit Sharma at the Shere-e-Bangla stadium in Dhaka. Since then, the local media has started calling him the ‘Rewanchal Express’ – a boy from MP’s Rewa, spearheading into the Indian dressing room.

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Kuldeep burst into the scene just a few months back when Rajasthan Royals’ bowling coach Lasith Malinga identified his calibre and fast tracked him into the RR playing XI last edition. On his debut, he picked just one wicket, but it was an impactful one; knocking over Deepak Hooda when the all-rounder was almost starting to get into the groove.

Probably he had saved his best for a big game, against a star-studded RCB. Rajasthan needed to defend a modest 144-run total, and Kuldeep just hit the iron when it was super-hot. Faf du Plessis, Glenn Maxwell (for a golden duck), Wanindu Hasaranga, and Harshal Patel – the four big-ticket victims helped Sen grab the limelight. He ended the season with 8 wickets in 7 games with best figures of 20/4.

But did he get into the Indian dressing just upon his IPL performance? Obviously not, because even after the league, he didn’t forget the thumb rule of keep going – consistency. In the recently concluded Vijay Hazare Trophy, the right-arm quick was the joint second-highest wicket-taker with 17 scalps to his credit. It all added up to his entry into Team India and now, the son of a barber is ready to trim the opposition’s batting line-up.

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The 1st ODI against Bangladesh wasn’t a fair deal for India as they lost by 1 wicket. However, Kuldeep could spread his wings on his debut game. Striking twice on debut and that too under pressure doesn’t come easy to any cricketer. It takes years of hardships and also, a hard taskmaster who could guide an individual to master that art.

Madhya Pradesh coach Chandrakant Pandit has seen Kuldeep from close quarters and is very well aware of his ward’s passion to bowl quick. In an exclusive conversation with News18 Cricketnext, Pandit spoke about the speedster’s preparedness that backed him on his India debut.

“I am sure that the way has been practicing, he is very much used to it now like taking up the pressure and like to play in tense situations. So, I think that could be one of the reasons that mentally he was prepared and was ready,” Pandit told News18 Cricketnext.

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“But I think, going back to our preparation; he always does the same kind of preparation where I think most of the Madhya Pradesh players are now getting used to it. Initially, they had some tough times and of course, as you said, me being a hard taskmaster but I think I am always there with the game it has demanded.

“And that is the one, I am trying to teach them, make and guide them in such a way. So, somebody probably would find it uncomfortable but once they get uncomfortable, they become comfortable soon. So that is one of the reasons yesterday what we could see.

“Kuldeep coming back and they have been taught that you have to come back as a quality bowler, as an important bowler of the team; you have to produce some kind of breakthrough for the team in such situations. So maybe mentally he was prepared for that,” he added.

Saying that Kuldeep has been trained by one of the finest coaches in the Indian domestic circuit, he only adds to the vast pool of talented cricketers that the country currently houses. Pandit believes that the right-arm quick has come a long way ahead from what he used to be at the beginning and a massive positive for Indian cricket.

“Kuldeep bowls quick, he has that passion for bowling quick, and he has been learning in the last couple of seasons. He was a little erratic but now he backs himself in a rhythm properly and probably he now tries to maintain the proper line and length and now he started understanding that. And this is the great opportunity that I earlier mentioned. Because he has the talent, he has the potential to bowl, and he is something good that happened to Indian cricket,” Pandit added.

Gone are those days when our national team was criticised for lacking firepower in their pace attack. Three young pacers making ODI debuts in two weeks is simply a statement that India has certainly become a breeding ground for fearsome speedsters. But at the same time, it’s also important to hold on to these youngsters and nurture them. Pandit believes that if any player is breaking into the Indian team, he should be given a fair amount of chance and most importantly, should be backed when he fails rather than benching him.

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“You have so many players there. The players who can create a big impact, who is giving a long service. You have to identify that and obviously, the consistency of the performance will also speak about it,” Pandit said.

“But I think, I always believe as a coach to give them confidence if they fail and back them up and try to give them confidence like you are the only one who can deliver when required. You have to identify this kind of player and give them opportunities even though they fail rather than dropping them,” he concluded.

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