Former Indian spinner Sunil Joshi recently reflected on the inspiring transformation of spin bowler Kuldeep Yadav, as he successfully made a remarkable comeback to the Indian cricket team. Kuldeep faced a tough phase in 2021, struggling to secure a spot in the shortest format both for India and his IPL team, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).
Unfortunately, a knee injury during IPL 2021 prevented him from participating in the T20 World Cup in the UAE.
Despite the setbacks, Kuldeep’s perseverance paid off, and he managed to retain his place in the 50-over format for the Indian team since February 2022.
In 2023, he emerged as India’s leading wicket-taker in ODIs, securing 22 wickets in just 11 matches at an impressive economy rate of 4.87.
Sunil Joshi, who was a left-arm spinner during his playing days, played a pivotal role in Kuldeep’s resurgence.” When Kuldeep Yadav was dropped, I was a member of the selection committee. Who came to his aid? I was the only member of the coaching team who was able to shorten his delivery stride, improve his front arm speed, and get him to rip more rotations on the ball,” he said.
Kuldeep Yadav has suddenly become the center of attention. Former coach Ravi Shastri inquired, “What have you done with Kuldeep? ‘Ravi bhai, I haven’t done anything remarkable, these are the basic responsibilities of a bowling coach,’”Sunil explained.
“When you look at Kuldeep 2.0, his front arm is toward the target, his bowling arm is pointing towards the target, and he is running towards the target. He has a shorter stride, a free follow-through, and is moving faster through the air. Look at the way he’s bowling right now.”
Kuldeep Yadav is currently on India’s West Indies tour. During the recently concluded ODI series, he took seven wickets at 8.71 in three matches.