New Delhi, September 3: Inspired by the all-round capabilities of Ravindra Jadeja and the unwavering confidence of Hardik Pandya, 19-year-old left-arm spinner Karthik Yadav has emerged as a crucial player for Kashi Rudras in their quest for a third consecutive title in the UP T20 League.
The two-time reigning champions are set to face the Noida Super Kings in a vital eliminator match. After a mid-season slump that saw them lose four consecutive matches, the team made a comeback, finishing third in the league stage with 10 points. This resurgence has allowed Kashi to maintain their playoff streak for four consecutive seasons.
Kashi enters the playoffs with high confidence, thanks to Karthik’s match-winning spell against table-toppers Meerut Mavericks, where he took three wickets for just 12 runs in four overs, helping to bowl out the opposition for 119 runs. Throughout the regular season, Karthik claimed 14 wickets in 12 matches, boasting an economy rate of 6.29, an average of 15.29, and a strike rate of 14.57.
In an exclusive interview, Karthik shared, “When it comes to the game, I look up to Ravindra Jadeja and Hardik Pandya. Their mindset is similar to mine. Jadeja excels in left-arm spin bowling and batting, and his fielding is exceptional. I see him as a player who contributes in all departments, regardless of the format. So, whenever I prepare to play for any team, whether it’s Kashi or my domestic team, I adopt the same mindset. I hope that if I play for India, I can contribute in every department as well. As for Hardik Bhai, I admire his confidence and want to emulate that. He handles pressure exceptionally well and always believes he is the best. This is not negative thinking but rather a positive mindset, which I truly appreciate.”
A pivotal moment for Karthik came at the Madan Mohan Malviya Stadium in Prayagraj when coach Amit Pal advised him to focus on bowling instead of batting. Initially, Karthik was solely focused on scoring runs, even during school cricket. However, after trying his hand at spin bowling, he never looked back. As the son of a CRPF officer, Karthik soon moved to a cricket academy in Ghaziabad to refine his newly acquired skills, which proved beneficial.
Despite his impressive bowling performances, including a season-best spell of 4-7, Karthik emphasizes run prevention over wicket-taking. He remarked, “There wasn’t any specific plan before taking 12/3. I performed well in other matches without overthinking. Whenever the team needed me, I delivered, whether it was bowling or any other department, and the results favored us. My personal approach is not to chase wickets. I focus on minimizing runs or saving as many runs as possible. In bowling, I aim to concede the least runs. As for wickets, that’s not entirely in my control. My rhythm has always been excellent, and I feel no pressure. I believe that if we play good cricket with positive body language and energy, we will win the finals.”
Reflecting on the team’s rough patch mid-season, Karthik praised the dressing room culture fostered by captain Karan Sharma and head coach Dhruv Singh. He stated, “We had faith in ourselves and in God that we would play well, bounce back, and reach the playoffs. After losing four matches, the morale in the dressing room was low. While we say it doesn’t affect us, internally, it feels like we shouldn’t have lost. All players supported each other, assuring that we could still achieve something. Our staff, coaches, and captain backed us, saying we could still perform well and make it to the playoffs. We hope to win the finals.”
Karthik noted, “The atmosphere has been very positive on both sides. It has been quite comfortable. They never let us feel any pressure, whether on the field with the captain or off it. They have always created a positive environment and showed us that we can do this.”
He highlighted the collective efforts of Kashi’s bowling unit, which includes seamers Atal Bihari Rai and Vijay Yadav, who have taken 14 and 13 wickets, respectively. Karthik added, “There’s no pressure, as I’ve faced similar situations before. There’s no pressure because just like batting partnerships, we have our bowling partnerships.”
The 19-year-old’s form in the UP T20 League has been bolstered by his early experiences in multi-day domestic cricket. He represented Uttar Pradesh in the Ranji Trophy last season and took five wickets in his debut match against Tamil Nadu. Karthik remarked, “I’ll share my experience. After last year’s league, I didn’t go straight to play the Ranji Trophy. I was selected for the under-23 team and performed well. Then I was picked for senior red-ball matches and took five wickets on my debut, which I consider a significant achievement at this age. However, I always have a hunger to play more cricket at higher levels.”
Looking ahead to the knockout match against Noida Super Kings, Karthik concluded with a focus on process: “I don’t overthink or plan too much. We just want to keep playing the way we have been because we know who the players are and what they can do.”
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