Kuldeep knows when to play & when to rest: Chawla

Senior spinner Piyush Chawla on Monday said his Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) teammate and India leggie Kuldeep Yadav knows how to manage his workload during the Indian Premier League (IPL) keeping in mind the World Cup.

Echoing India skipper Virat Kohli, who on Sunday said that he expects his teammates to be smart enough to manage their workload before the mega event starting on May 30, Chawla stated: "We all are professional cricketers. There is workload on everyone but somehow you have to manage things on your own.

"Everyone is different. All the players are individuals and they know how they are going to manage. They know when to play and when to take a break."

KKR preferred to stay indoors and did not practice on Monday ahead of their opener against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Eden Gardens on Sunday.

Kohli has also stressed that no instructions have been issued to IPL franchises with regard to workload management of World Cup-bound players.

Chawla, speaking to reporters at the team hotel, underlined the importance of the cash-rich T20 meet, saying although it's a 20-over format as opposed to the 50-over World Cup, it should act as a good preparation.

"As we all know, IPL is as good as international cricket. I see this as a very good preparatory thing. I know both (World Cup) and IPL are different formats but still even in 20 overs you need a lot of skills if you want to fox the batsman," the 30-year-old 2011 World Cup winner said.

Asked if Kuldeep - who will be one of India's main weapons in England this summer - has lost a bit of his charm after India's 3-2 defeat to Australia at home, Chawla said: "He was never a mystery spinner. Mystery spinner is a myth according to me. He is a skillful bowler and as the day progresses you need to make that skill stronger and he is working on that."

Chawla, who Kuldeep credits for his success, added that the chinaman bowler's main strength is that he has a big heart and is not afraid of getting hit.

"Kuldeep is not afraid to get hit, which is the most important thing for any spinner."

Chawla added that Kuldeep and Yuzvendra Chahal are assets for the Indian team as both of them are wicket-taking bowlers.

"Both of them are doing really well and the way Kuldeep has bowled in the last couple of months, he is doing really well. Even Chahal has done well in Australia. It's always an advantage for the team when you have two wrist spinners. And both are wicket taking."

On Indian tweakers coming good in English conditions, Chawla said even if the pitches there are mostly batting friendly, it should not be difficult for wrist spinners.

"If it's a belter, the job of a wrist spinner is more. For finger spinners, it's still difficult but for wrist spinners it shouldn't be so difficult even on belters."

--IANS

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