NEW DELHI: Indian spinner Kuldeep Yadav said Monday that the late Shane Warne has been a big influence on his career and he still watches videos of the spin legend for inspiration.

Kuldeep, a left-arm wrist spinner, has shone at the World Cup with eight wickets to be India’s go-to slow bowler on turning pitches.

He claimed two key wickets in India’s latest victory over New Zealand on Sunday while a match-winning 2-35 against arch-rivals Pakistan earlier in the tournament also stood out.

Starting out as a fast bowler, Kuldeep turned to spin on the advice of his coach.

“If there is any doubt [with how I am bowling], I look at his old action,” Kuldeep said in an ICC column on Monday. “I feel I am very lucky to have spent some time with him and to have been his good friend. I used to watch him on television and observed how he used to dismiss the batters and his planning.

“He was quite strong mentally. When I played in Sydney [2019 Test], he helped me. I learnt bowling from him and he is the person I have followed forever.”

Published in Dawn, October 24th, 2023