Sunil Joshi, a former India spinner and selector, recently detailed the work he did with Kuldeep Yadav during the cricketer’s recovery from knee surgery at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru.
“If you look at Kuldeep 2.0, he is going at the target and his front arm is lovely and directed there as well as his bowling arm. He has a shorter stride, a free follow through, and moves through the air more quickly. You should observe how he is currently bowling, Joshi had remarked.
All of those characteristics were evident on Monday night as he destroyed Pakistan’s batting order. Additionally, the placement of his torso allowed him to sprint past the crease and cause the ball to fizz somewhat.
Pakistan had a difficult time coping with the left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav, who concluded with a five-wicket haul. In addition to picking up five wickets, his eight overs only resulted in 25 runs. With openers Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill smashing 50 and displaying determination at the top, India’s record partnership for any wicket in the Asia Cup was formed by Virat Kohli and Kl Rahul, who both scored hundreds, as they went on an uninterrupted 233 for the third wicket off 194 balls. The performance of Kuldeep Yadav, who may be India’s only X factor in the ODI World Cup, would be the most fulfilling and pleasing sight for captain Rohit Sharma and coach Rahul Dravid.
Kuldeep Yadav has demonstrated that he will be crucial to India’s bowling unit’s ability to perform admirably in the middle overs of the forthcoming World Cup with his recent performance.
Kuldeep has taken the most ODI wickets for India this year, with 27 in 14 games for an average of 16.18.
After India defeated Pakistan by 228 runs, Kuldeep reveals his strategy in a press conference. “I am just thinking about bowling in the good length and focusing on rhythm, that is more important for me. Bit more aggressive as well, hitting the stumps every time, that’s really helping me a lot,” he says.
Ian Bishop, a former West Indies pacer who is now a broadcaster, praised Kuldeep after his wicket. The West Indies noted on X how Kuldeep’s technical improvement has transformed him into a very different player.
After having knee surgery, I have been playing regularly for the past 1.5 years. Now that everyone is aware, my run-up was a little too straight. The rhythm is more aggressive, the approach is sound, and although my bowling hand may have previously fallen off frequently, it is now under control and is turning more toward the batsman, according to Kuldeep.
“At the same time, my spin and drift are still present, and since my pace has increased, it is assisting me. I’ve been focusing exclusively on hitting those nice distances regularly for a while now because it increases your chances of getting wickets, he claimed.
In retrospect, Kuldeep’s knee injury in September 2021 turned out to be a blessing in disguise. After being freed from the KKR, he realized that he needed to make some adjustments while he was at NCA. He did have support from Ricky Ponting, Sunil Joshi, and his childhood bowling coach Pandey along the way, but it is harder said than done to improve your bowling technique.
“My post-surgery experience was incredibly frustrating. I missed five months of work,” he explains.
“It did not occur overnight. I needed some time to perfect it. This has also been advised by many individuals, and in the meanwhile, I also didn’t want to loose my zip, nip, or drift. After the surgery, when my three months of rehabilitation were through, I realized I had to get to work on it.
“Whatever you intend, don’t put more weight on your knee, my NCA physiotherapist Ashish Kaushik advised me.
“I attempted to bowl faster and I started doing it in the practice matches in Kanpur to keep it in mind. Picking a batsman was becoming more challenging. I began imitating it in international games after being chosen for the India team. It was initially quite challenging for me; my rhythm was slipping, and I was having trouble in the IPL as well. After the procedure, it took me six to seven months to regain my rhythm, the patient claims.
In two months, India will host the 50-over World Cup, and Kuldeep is brimming with confidence and clearly enjoying his position as the country’s top spinner.
Right now, I’m really content. I’ve had an incredible year and a half. I’ve been bowling good lately. I don’t give the starting XI much thought; I’m just having fun bowling.
“Every morning when I wake up, all I can think about is being okay whenever I get the chance, I’ll stick with what I’ve had. Because length is the most important factor for any spinner, I have been focusing on it throughout the IPL and the previous series as well. Right now, I’m simply loving it,” says Kuldeep.
Virat Kohli and KL Rahul both scored two centuries on Monday, which enabled India to reach a huge total. If the number of runs on the scoreboard allowed him greater freedom to bowl, he said yes. The 28-year-old responded with a smile, “When I was younger, I used to solely bowl at my natural length, but as I’ve gained experience, I’ve learned which batsmen are attempting to play what kinds of strokes and what he’s picking, so I try to bowl appropriately. When the target is large, you know the batsman will play big shots, but you still need to be prepared. It enables you to bowl as planned.
Kuldeep’s second five-wicket haul was against Pakistan, who he claims he will remember most fondly.
“It really increases your spirit when you take up five wickets against a big team.”When I retire from cricket, I will always treasure this wicket against Pakistan,” he says. “Kabhi jab cricket band karunga ye hamesha yaad rahega ki Pakistan ke against 5 wicket liye the.”
“The side that plays spin well, and if you perform against them, it motivates you a lot,” he continues.
With a Super Four match against Sri Lanka scheduled for Tuesday, India will play three days in a row.
It is challenging if the rain stops the game, but for the time being, if the conditions permit us to play, players must always be prepared. If you are playing a solid game against a strong team, you want the contest to conclude. We finished the match because everyone was eager to participate, according to Kuldeep, who played three consecutive days.
