Delhi Capitals (DC) got a massive boost for the clash against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). Their bowling department was boosted by the return of leggie Kuldeep Yadav and pacer Mukesh Kumar. But Kuldeep turned out to be the missing piece in the puzzle for the way he operated in the middle order. Kuldeep struck twice in his first over to remove Marcus Stoinis and a dangerous Nicholas Pooran. In his next over, he got rid of a well-settled LSG skipper KL Rahul. The mini-collapse pushed LSG on the back foot and did not let them dictate terms in the middle overs. Kuldeep was adjudged ‘Player of the match’ for his performance. The left-arm chinaman bowler revealed how tough it was too watch the team lose from the sidelines as he was unfit.
“[It] Was tough when I wasn't fit. Got injured first game and was difficult to see the team struggling in the middle overs,” Kuldeep said in the post-match presentation.
Kuldeep thanked DC's physiotherapist Patrick Farhart for helping him recover quickly as he said, “Credit goes to Patrick (Farhart) to maintain my fitness and get me ready quickly.”
Kuldeep also explained how he flattened the off-stump and got rid of Pooran for a duck.
“All three were important wickets, it was crucial to get wickets in the middle overs to control the run rate. I liked the first and second wicket, I have played a lot against Pooran and the execution for that was right. I was clear with my plans, just the length matters for me as a spinner. Very clear and confident with my skills,” he added.
Kuldeep has not always been spot-on with his DRS calls whether it is on the international stage or in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Kuldeep explained when he pushes for taking DRS and tries to convince DC skipper Rishabh Pant.
“Whenever I feel the DRS call is 50/50, I try to push for it but when it is more 60/40 then I tend to listen to Rishabh. As a bowler, you obviously want to take the DRS whevever possible. We've got 2 reviews, so obviously one is for me (laughs off),” said the 29-year-old.
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