In spectacular sporting news, Kuldeep Yadav, a household name in Indian cricket, has made a thunderous return. The past 12 months have seen the spinner deliver quite the impressive performance that warrants a closer look. Since his reappearance, Kuldeep has played 25 matches across formats, snatching 48 wickets, according to recent statistics.
In these, Kuldeep has skilfully seized 8 wickets in one Test against Bangladesh, also managing to bag 32 wickets in 18 One Day Internationals (ODIs), keeping his average rate rather high at 20 and an impressive economy rate of 4.82. Moreover, he proved his mettle in the six T20 Internationals he played, as highlighted by the commendable economy of 5.85 and 8 wickets under his belt. To say that Kuldeep has been India’s crowning jewel in terms of spinners for the past year would be an understatement.
The spinner’s fine form was evident as India strategized to win the essential fourth T20 International against the West Indies at Lauderhill, Florida. Indian team captain, Hardik Pandya, made a smart move handing the ball to Kuldeep in the sixth over, the immediate success of which underscored Kuldeep’s prowess.
In that very over, Kuldeep managed to send Nicholas Pooran and opposition captain Rovman Powell back to their pavilion early, causing significant disruption to the West Indies line-up. Notably, Pooran, who had been a formidable opponent for the Indian bowlers, was dismissed by Kuldeep for a second straight match, thereby mitigating a sizeable threat. Any attempt by Pooran to sweep Kuldeep away to long-on fell short, the ball falling comfortably into Suryakumar Yadav’s hands.
Indeed, Kuldeep saved his best delivery for Rovman Powell, the West Indies captain. Powell’s attempt to direct Kuldeep’s delivery to the on-side failed miserably, leading to an outside edge and being caught effortlessly by Shubman Gill on first slip. At this stage, the West Indies found themselves precariously positioned at 57 for four wickets, having lost three wickets in a mere eight balls and managing to add only three runs.
It was indeed Shimron Hetmyer who came to West Indies’ rescue with an excellent knock of 61 runs, but even he found Kuldeep’s bowling unmanageable, and the spinner finished with figures of 2 for 26 in his 4 overs.
What makes Kuldeep’s story so compelling is the resilience demonstrated during his return. Following the 2019 World Cup, Kuldeep’s cricketing journey was on a downward trajectory. He was sidelined from the Indian team, hardly securing any opportunities to play. Additionally, his Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), opted to bench him. As if adding insult to injury, a knee injury in 2021 led to KKR formally releasing Kuldeep.
However, as destiny would have it, this sequence of events turned out to be a silver lining for the spinner. Following his release from KKR, Kuldeep was signed by the Delhi Capitals (DC). The faith shown in him by DC’s head coach Ricky Ponting and captain Rishabh Pant proved instrumental in his career revival.
Kapil Pandey, who has been Kuldeep’s coach since his early years, recalls the promising words offered by Ponting. “Ricky Ponting assured him ‘I am going to play you all the matches. I can see why Warnie (Shane Warne) likes you. You are going to be our matchwinner’,” says Pandey.
Pant, treating Kuldeep as a senior player, had mirroring sentiments and affirmed that he would include the spinner in every match. Pandey recounts Pant’s reassuring words to Kuldeep: “Rishabh told him ‘you have to do well…there is no better bowler than you in India’.”
Legend Shane Watson’s insightful guidance significantly improved Kuldeep’s batting style. As mentioned by Pandey, Kuldeep found solace and support within the DC camp, which subsequently reflected in his outstanding performances.
Fast forward to now and the newfound confidence in Kuldeep is clear to see. The IPL 2022 left spectators in awe of his excellent form, where he scooped up 21 wickets. Since then, Kuldeep Yadav hasn’t looked back.
