Yusuf, who smashed a scintillating 22-ball 72 to power Kolkata Knight Riders to finish second in the league table, said he "never went out of business" and was just "a little unlucky" as all cricketers go through such phases in their career.
He said the team's bowling coach Akram's advice was of great help to him to prepare mentally.
"Wasim Bhai is a great inspiration and he has a lot of good advice from all his experience that any player can learn from. He has helped me with the mental preparation and understanding a bowler's mindset to the game," Pathan told PTI in an interview.
"Definitely, because of the circumstances going into the match and also the value of the result to my team," said the Baroda bomber.
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After a forgettable last season, Yusuf struggled for form for a good part of IPL-7 but has regained lost touch in the last few games.
Yusuf partially answered his critics with a composed 39 against Sunrisers Hyderabad and then a small but significant 22 against Royal Challengers Bangalore before the Eden outing.