Kuldeep Yadav, the spinner for the Delhi Capitals, has shared that his experience with the Kolkata Knight Riders from 2014 to 2021 really taught him a lot about bowling, especially thanks to his former teammate, Sunil Narine. He said that it was during those years with KKR that he fully understood the importance of bowling length deliveries, something that Narine always pushed for.
After spending quite some time together in Kolkata, Kuldeep moved to Delhi while Narine stuck with KKR, where he has been a key player for over ten years. Kuldeep was bought for Rs 40 lakhs in the IPL auction back in 2014, which kicked off his journey in one of the most competitive cricket leagues around.
Speaking on JioHotstar, Kuldeep explained how crucial it is for bowlers to try and dominate on the field. He mentioned bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah and Narine, saying they’ve consistently performed at a high level. Looking back, he admitted that Narine was a bit ahead of the game when they were teammates. He always talked about how important it is to get your length right, Kuldeep said. He realized that while he used to think he could just rely on his natural abilities, Narine’s advice on focusing on bowling length turned out to be spot on. After returning from his injury, Kuldeep made it a goal to refine his length deliveries, and he feels it’s really made an impact on his game.
When discussing the IPL’s challenges, Kuldeep expressed how tough it can be for bowlers because of the quality of batsmen they face. “It’s not easy at all; there’s fierce competition out there. You might take wickets, but keeping your runs per over down to 6 or 7 is another story,” he said. He highlighted just how tough playing in the IPL really is, emphasizing how every match features some of the best cricketers in the world.
Now, instead of being a support bowler to Narine, Kuldeep is teaming up with Axar Patel, as the duo aims to help Delhi snag their first IPL title. Their partnership has really grown over the years. Axar and I go way back to our U-17 days. We understand each other really well on the field. We’ve got a solid way of communicating, Kuldeep reflected. He recalled their time during the U-19 World Cup in 2012 when they won in Australia with Unmukt Chand leading the team, where they were both on standby but still contributed as a unit.
Recently, Kuldeep was back in action against the Lucknow Super Giants, where he delivered a tight spell, ending with figures of 4 overs, 20 runs, and 2 wickets. It’s clear that he’s continuing to learn and grow as a player, and he’s keen to keep pushing his performance as the season goes on.
