Kuldeep Yadav Plans To Pursue Football Coaching After Cricket

Kuldeep Yadav, currently part of India's squad for the T20 World Cup 2024, has expressed his ambition to become a certified football coach after retiring from cricket.

The 29-year-old spinner revealed his plans to obtain a football coaching license through proper training. While acknowledging that he is not yet perfect, Yadav is committed to working hard on this new career path post-cricket.

"Beyond cricket, I'm hopeful of getting a license in football coaching. I'm not perfect, but I need to work on it a lot. Hopefully, when I leave cricket, I can invest time in it and take proper training. I've got friends who are associated with the game, and after cricket, if I want to do something, I would certainly like to contribute to football," Yadav said in a chat with his IPL team Delhi Capitals.

Yadav had an opportunity to meet football legend David Beckham during his visit to India last year when the ODI World Cup 2023 was underway. In a conversation with Ravichandran Ashwin, Yadav shared details of his interaction with Beckham and his admiration for Premier League club Manchester United.

"I met him after the game (2023 WC against SL) and told him that I used to watch Manchester United because of Paul Scholes. I spoke a bit too directly (laughs). I also told him that I am a huge Gary Neville fan and requested him to let him know whenever he meets him. I told that after I finish my career I probably want to try being a football manager," Yadav had told Ashwin on his YouTube Channel.

On the second episode of DC Cafe, Yadav also discussed his aspiration to win the World Cup for India. He emphasized that players representing India for an extended period should aim to secure at least one World Cup victory.

"It's my dream to win the World Cup for India. This is my first T20 World Cup. I'm 29 years old and expect to play for as long as possible. Winning the World Cup is a long-term goal, and there's a bigger process behind it. If you're playing for India for a long time, you've got to win a World Cup. I think trophies do matter in the end, and you're playing to win the trophies. So winning the World Cup is my only dream," he said.

Kuldeep Yadav will be seen in action for India in their first match of the T20 World Cup 2024 against Ireland on Wednesday, June 1. The Indian squad also includes spinners Yuzvendra Chahal, Ravindra Jadeja, and Axar Patel.