The childhood coach of India’s Chinaman Kuldeep Yadav has praised the spinners for being so consistent with his line and length, in not only drying up the runs but also in picking up wickets in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024, in the West Indies and the United States of America (USA).
The Rohit Sharma-led Indian team has progressed to the final of the world event after a gap of 10 years, after they reached the position back in 2014, and ended up losing to Sri Lanka in Dhaka, under the captaincy of Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
Kuldeep Yadav has been a huge contributor to the team on those slow and low surfaces for the side, in the Caribbean, as he has shown his skills of bowling in the middle overs, in picking up wickets constantly.
‘Kuldeep Yadav is the backbone of the Indian team’- Kapil Pandey
India have been going into the USA leg of the competition with three genuine pacers- including the left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh, and two pace batteries- Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammad Siraj. Hardik Pandya too was quite beneficial for them using the variations.
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Once they reached the Caribbean for the ‘super eight’ stage of the tournament, straightaway the captain and the team management decided to bring back Kuldeep Yadav in the team.
The left-arm spinner has been in terrific touch, coming on the back of the IPL 2024, where he finished with 16 wickets in 11 games, at a bowling average of 23.38, and an economy rate of under nine. In the league, where even 220 was an average total in the 20-overs, the economy of 8.70 is always going to be a bonus for the side.
In the very first game of the ‘super eight’ round of the competition, Kuldeep Yadav looked short of rhythm, as he ended with figures of 2/32 in his four overs, at the Kensington Oval. Against Bangladesh, with a few more over under his belt, the ball started to come in a better shape out of his hand, as he finished with figures of 3/19 in his four overs, where the ball was spinning and doing its tricks.
They were defending a huge score against Australia, but the surface at the Darren Sammy National Cricket Stadium was quite flat, and someone was needed to come up with the job of drying up the runs. Kuldeep Yadav did it, to give away only 24 runs in his four overs, besides picking up a couple of wickets.
On a slow and low spinning track at the Providence Stadium in Guyana, India were way ahead in the contest defending a stiff total of 171 runs, and Kuldeep just went through the opposition line-up to return with 3/19 in four overs.
The childhood coach of the Uttar Pradesh-born bowler, Kapil Pandey has applauded the development of the bowler in his work, to earn more success in this world event.
‘Obviously, he (Kuldeep Yadav) is the backbone of the Indian team. He got the chance in the last four matches and has been performing very well.’ Pandey expressed in a recent interview with IANS. ‘We all know what sort of player he is and I feel really proud to see him delivering for the country.’
When it comes to his overall performances in this T20 World Cup, Kuldeep Yadav has already collected 10 wickets in just four innings, at an average of under 10, as it has been in the strike rate section, with an economy rate of under six, and a best of 3/19.
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The veteran coach is also optimistic of India ending the wait of 11 years as they have performed brilliantly, after being unbeaten in this competition.
‘India is performing exceptionally well and they have reached the final of the T20 World Cup after beating every team.’ Kapil remarked. ‘This is the best Indian T20I team to reach the final and I firmly believe that this team will bring back the glory of 2007 T20 WC and end the drought of 17 years.’
India will face South Africa in the final of the T20 World Cup on June 29, in Barbados.