NAGPUR: India speedster Umesh Yadav is in a different zone ever since he was grabbed by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the IPL 2022 auctions after going unsold in the first round. The Vidarbha pacer worked harder under KKR mentor David Hussey and bowling coach Bharat Arun. He responded well by showing excellent improvement in his white ball trade that not only helped his IPL franchise but also his county side - Middlesex. Now, he is playing a big role for his home state - Vidarbha.
As soon as the 35-year-old Umesh entered the Vidarbha team, the pace attack looked complete and the result was straight on the cards. Supplemented equally well by batters, Vidarbha entered knockouts of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) and they will face Chhattisgarh in the pre quarterfinal match in Kolkata on Sunday.
Once again the senior-most Umesh will be in focus as he will take the field playing in his second home - KKR's home city. Umesh played four SMAT games and Vidarbha have won all of them.
Vidarbha's SMAT campaign so far has been shaped by some gripping innings from batters. Timely influence of Yadav acted like a catalyst for Vidarbha in keeping their hopes alive. The wicket of dashing Prithvi Shaw and later of Shivam Dube against Mumbai stopped Mumbai below 160.
Later, he conceded just 25 runs in his 4 overs against Uttarakhand while defending. In the must-win game, the speedster leaked just 6 runs in the 20th over that made all the difference and Vidarbha qualified. These performances must not have made headlines but were instrumental.
The KKR bowler had the economy of 7.06 in the last IPL which was the 7th best in the IPL (minimum 20 overs bowled). His 12-match IPL consistency got him his maiden county call with Middlesex. The control he showed in one-dayers in the UK was a reflection of how he has improved his white ball trade. Now, he is showing similar precision and putting Vidarbha on course. He was the leading wicket-taker (16 wickets) for Middlesex.
Umesh is sharing the new ball with Darshan Nalkande, a Gujarat Titans pacer, in SMAT. The duo has Yash Thakur to fire in the death. Yash, who took 4 wickets in the last two overs and helped Vidarbha win the Uttarakhand game by 2 runs, is doing well in the final overs. The trio of pacers has maintained excellent consistency. Their efforts have nicely been complemented by Jitesh Sharma-led batting.
Akshay Wadkar-led Vidarbha will look up to Umesh & Co. to stop Chhattisgarh, who are known for scripting surprising results against in-form teams. Vidarbha had played Chhatisgarh in the practice matches before the SMAT started and they are aware of their unit.
