Kuldeep Yadav has been in fine form of late. While he was one of India’s vital cogs from 2017-19, things took a turn for the worse post the 2019 ODI World Cup. During the same time, Kuldeep’s stocks fell considerably in the Indian Premier League (IPL), where he was part of the two-time winners Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). Having joined the side in 2016, he was a fairly consistent face in the playing XI but his poor form in 2019 led to the spinner being sidelined. In 2019, he ended with only four scalps from nine games before playing just five games from 2020-21. Injuries also led to KKR ignoring Kuldeep.
As a result, Kuldeep went into the mega auction for the 2022 edition and was picked by Delhi Capitals (DC). Since 2022, he has revived himself and claimed 41 wickets so far. He is an integral part of the DC camp, having already claimed ten wickets from five games in the ongoing edition — most from his side and eighth overall. Recently, Kuldeep recalled his struggling days, from 2019, and rued his lack of experience during his ordinary stint with KKR.
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In a recent media interaction, Kuldeep said, “In KKR, I needed guidance but now I don’t need it, as now I dictate terms. In 2019, Mahi bhai (MS Dhoni, his national team mentor) had retired that year and I needed guidance. The idea that I have now, has come with experience.”
‘Still regret my time in KKR and feel whatever I am doing now, wish I could have done it back then’
The DC spinner further opined, “I still regret my time in KKR (from 2016-2020) and feel whatever I am doing now, wish I could have done it back then. It still hurts me that had I worked on those skills back then, I could have dominated even more. But it didn’t happen back then as experience is something that you get only when you play a lot. When you encounter failure in life, then only you learn and now I am more confident about my skills and at the same time respectful of the fact that opposition can be good too.”
The Indian cricketer added, “Back in the day, I didn’t do (respect opposition) that. I believed in my skills but then at the same time you need to understand how the batter is playing and that maturity has come, knowing my strength and where to bowl so that it is difficult to hit, and I am working on that.”
Not only for DC, Kuldeep has become a regular for India, especially in the longer formats. A sensational run in IPL 2024 can certainly book his ticket for the 2024 T20 World Cup to be held in the West Indies and USA in June. The Indian provisional squad is expected to be out by the end of this month, or by May 1 (deadline for all participating teams).
At present, Rishabh Pant-led DC are set to host the Gujarat Titans (GT) in match 40 of IPL 2024, on Wednesday evening (April 24), at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi.
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