Bangladesh vs India: Kuldeep Yadav finally cashing in on his form in the 2022 IPL
It was in the year 2021 when it appeared that things could not get much worse than they were for Kuldeep Yadav
Kuldeep Yadav asset from Indian Premier LeagueKuldeep Yadav hit rock-bottom in 2021.
Not only was he unable to get any game time for his Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Kolkata Knight Riders, but his spot in the Indian team was also far from certain.
It didn’t help that in the past two seasons of the IPL, he had taken a total of five wickets – four in 2019 and one in 2020.
To make matters worse, India had an array of spinners to call upon in case they wanted more options, and Kuldeep’s career was veering dangerously towards falling off a cliff.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Third five-wicket haul for Kuldeep Yadav in Tests ЁЯСП<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BANvIND?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BANvIND</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WTC23?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WTC23</a> | ЁЯУЭ <a href="https://t.co/ym1utFHoek">https://t.co/ym1utFHoek</a> <a href="https://t.co/VFQ9ugi3s7">pic.twitter.com/VFQ9ugi3s7</a></p>— ICC (@ICC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ICC/status/1603638720447614979?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Thus, there was little surprise when the news came that he was released by KKR into the auction pool ahead of the 2022 IPL mega auction.
Kuldeep remained a talented cricketer, but a fresh start was needed if he had any chance of a career revival.
And when he was picked up for his base price of Rs. two crores by Delhi Capitals, most figured he would get that long-awaited chance to shine.
They were satisfied, as he ended the season having taken 21 wickets in 14 games at an economy rate of 8.44 and a strike rate of 14.19.
Indeed, so good were his exploits in the league – which included a memorable four-for against former franchise KKR – that he was recalled to the side for the five-match T20I series against South Africa right after the IPL.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Overs - 16<br>Maidens - 6<br>Runs - 40<br>Wickets - 5<br><br>An impressive spell from Kuldeep Yadav on his Test return ЁЯФеЁЯЩМ<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KuldeepYadav?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KuldeepYadav</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BANvsIND?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BANvsIND</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cricket?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cricket</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Tests?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Tests</a> <a href="https://t.co/NKBhHlgpWR">pic.twitter.com/NKBhHlgpWR</a></p>— Wisden India (@WisdenIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/WisdenIndia/status/1603622763603689473?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Unfortunately, he’s had to bide his time in his bid to make a permanent comeback to the Indian team as the talent pipeline simply overflows.
This was mainly because he got injured on the eve of the South Africa series and fell out of contention for the Indian team after that.
The squad already had two spinners in, Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravi Bishnoi, and the situation for Kuldeep was complicated even further when Ravichandran Ashwin was handed an unexpected recall to the side for the West Indies tour.
Kuldeep continued to play for India sporadically, but when he missed out on the squad to be a part of the Asia Cup, and with that everyone knew he wasn’t going to the World Cup.
The good thing was that he remained in and around the squad to take his chances when they came, and this is what happened in the first Test against Bangladesh.
Playing a Test match for the first time in a while, Kuldeep got a five-for in the first innings and looked every bit his usual imposing self.
He has previously admitted that his confidence was shattered during the end times of his spell with the Kolkata franchise. But he seems like a different player now.
As a wicket-taking bowler, it is easy to worry about one’s economy rate – the more attacking lines bowled by a wicket-taker can leave them at risk of being hit for big shots.
But Kuldeep has now overcome that fear and is bowling with confidence again, thanks in no small part to his time with the Delhi side in 2022.
The key now is to make this form stick – and become a part of the Indian team on a more regular basis.
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