kuldeep

Picture Credit: Instagram/RJTaran

Kuldeep Yadav has often credited India’s former captain, MS Dhoni, for his success in white-ball cricket. The spinner has once again highlighted the impact of Dhoni on his better bowling skills, but this time in a different context. Yadav thanked his Mahi bhai for cleaning up an ‘Instagram batter’ in a vial video.

Yadav, who is currently in rehabilitation, was featured in a video of RJ Taran where the two individuals took on each other. In the video, the Indian cricketer is seen challenging Taran, the batter, to hit outrageous shots as he does in his other videos. However, the batter fails as Yadav cleans him up with a conventional leg-spinner.

After getting cleaned up, Taran compliments Yadav by saying “Sahi karate ho bhaiya aap bhi (You also bowl really well)”. He then asks the bowler about his mentor. “Aapne kahan se seekha?” questions Taran. To which Yadav responds in style and says, “Mahi bhai se”.

Watch the viral video here:

Notably, Kuldeep Yadav shares a very special bond with Dhoni, who mentored him in the early phase of his international career. In an interview with Indian Express last year, Kuldeep said that he often missed Dhoni’s guidance from behind the wickets after his retirement. “Sometimes I miss that guidance because he (Mahi) has a great experience. He used to guide us behind the wicket, kept screaming!” the spinner had said.

“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 said.

The 27-year-old has been in and out of the Indian white-ball team due to inconsistency in his form and some injury concerns. After making a comeback against West Indies earlier this year, Yadav was once again ruled out of action with an injury to his hand. He is currently in rehabilitation and is expected to make a comeback to the side in the next few series.