Former captain Gautam Gambhir and the legendary Wasim Akram had a big influence on Kuldeep Yadav’s career in his early years at Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), the India left-arm spinner emphasised.

“Gautibhai had a huge influence on me from the start of my stint at KKR. He spoke to me a lot, not only during the time he was at KKR but even after that,” Kuldeep said on the KKR website. “He always kept me motivated. So when you get that kind of confidence from your captain, it becomes a huge plus for any player. It helps you to remain confident, and that translates into good performances.”

Talking about Akram, who used to be KKR’s bowling coach and mentor, Kuldeep said the former Pakistan skipper helped him more when it came to the mental aspect of the game. “Wasim Sir didn’t speak much about bowling, but he prepared me a lot in terms of taking on the game mentally.”