'I was not just relaxing in the off season'- Umesh Yadav hits back at critics post his selection for India's T20I squad

The majority of the cricketing world was perplexed at Umesh Yadav’s shocking inclusion in the India squad for the upcoming T20I series against Australia. The decision was made by the selectors following Mohammad Shami’s ruling out due to COVID. The news seemed like a double-edged sword for the fans as the return of Mohammad Shami to the Indian T20I squad was a very highly awaited moment.

The right arm pacer has not been in India’s vision for the future for a long time and it bore failure for the team at the Asia Cup. India missed a premium fast bowler at the continental tournament due to Jasprit Bumrah’s injury. The selectors soon accepted their mistake and named Shami for the Australis series as well as the 20-20 World Cup as a reserve player.

The happiness of cricket fans however did not stay for long as the news of Shami’s ruling out soon dampened the spirits. Umesh Yadav was named as his replacement for the Australia series and questions were asked about his selection after more than 3.5 years.

Yadav however has come out and laid out his side of the story. The 34-year-old said that he has been working in nets and his hard work has bore fruit.

"I did not play any white-ball cricket after playing for RCB in IPL 2020. I was doing well, practising well, but I did not get the chance. Uske pehle kisiko pata hi nehi tha (No one was aware of how I was doing in the nets). Everyone got to see how well I was doing when I got a chance with KKR in IPL 2022. People got to understand that I was not just relaxing in the off-season," he said. Yadav was also appreciative of his stint with Middlesex and gave it a huge credit for his revival.

"You could say that I was lucky because not many matches were happening in India because of the rain, so got lucky with the Middlesex offer. I knew that only practising and not playing any matches won't amount to anything. When you play, your body remains in that environment, your muscles stay loose and you are more agile. I was enjoying my county stint, the weather in England is good," he added.