Kuldeep Yadav made a match-winning debut for Delhi Capitals (DC) after warming the benches for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in previous two Indian Premier League (IPL) seasons. The left-arm chinaman bowler got three wickets against DC’s IPL 2022 campaign opener against Mumbai Indians (MI) to help his side restrict the five-time winners for 177/5. After his ‘Player of the match’ performance, Kuldeep credited opposition skipper Rohit Sharma and Capitals’ head coach Ricky Ponting for the turnaround.
“I am very happy. My lengths were good. I have been working really hard and have been talking to Ricky Ponting. Before this also, I have been talking to Rohit bhai. I haven't changed much in my bowling. The variation in pace was because I was in good rhythm,” the leg-spinner said during the innings break at Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai.
Kuldeep got three wickets and conceded just 18 runs in his full quota of four overs while bowlers like Shardul Thakur and Axar Patel were taken to the cleaners by MI batters, especially Ishan Kishan.
The 27-year-old got the major breakthrough in form of skipper Rohit, who was heading towards his half-century. In his next over, he got the wicket of Anmolpreet Singh. Later in the match, he got rid of veteran all-rounder Kieron Pollard in his last over.
“It was a difficult time for me. I was out with injury for five months. It was important for me to go for the rehab and thanks to the facilities and trainers at the NCA, I recovered very well and in time to get back into the Indian set up. And slowly I started match preparation and when I started playing the games,” Kuldeep said in the post-match presentation.
Capitals' assistant coach Shane Watson also lauded the leg-spinner after the match-winning performance.
"He (Kuldeep) has got great skills, as we have always seen. But he is very hungry, we can see by the way he has bowled today. He is hungry to really prove a point. He has got skills, he is now looking to execute it against these world-class Mumbai batters in a high-pressure situation," Watson told Star Sports.
"He is a highly-skilled bowler in all conditions. It doesn't have to turn for him. He has got his variations, especially his wrong'un. He has got his length spot on. His pace, he is bowling a little bit quicker. So I am excited about what we have seen in the lead up to the first game but also about what he is producing in the middle for us," he added.
In 2021, he did not get a single game for KKR before he was ruled out due to injury. In 2020, he got to play in five games and picked up just one wicket from 12 overs he bowled. He was unimpressive in the 2019 season as well. He managed to take just four wickets from nine games at an average of 71.50. The form slump also led to him getting dropped from the Indian squad.
