'Started off as a fast bowler' - Kuldeep

Kuldeep Yadav, the Kolkata Knight Riders chinaman bowler, has revealed in an interview that he began his life in cricket as a seam bowler, and that he cried when his coach first asked him to switch to spin.

Kuldeep was one of India's best performers at the Under-19 World Cup in the UAE, and has made an immediate impact since breaking through to Knight Riders' first team. Having made his debut for the side during the Champions League T20, Kuldeep has taken four wickets in two matches, and conceded his runs at an economy rate of 5.63 an over.

"I started off as a fast bowler but one day my coach, Kapil Pandey, called me said that speed is not my forte and I should bowl spin," Kuldeep told PTI. "And that really changed my future course of action and I became a chinaman bowler.

"Though I did not like bowling spin and I even cried after the change, of course now I look back and feel it was for my good. I would not have gone the distance as a fast bowler."

Kuldeep said he enjoys the atmosphere in the Knight Riders dressing room.

"It's great to be part of the KKR squad," he said. "Nobody has airs about themselves and are very down to earth. They never make me feel like a junior player. Everybody respects and supports each other and we all gel like a family."