One name has prompted a resurgence in the art of spin bowling in the wonderful legacy of Indian cricket, where legends come out and talents shine
Kuleep Yadav. Yadav was born in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, on December 14, 1994. His journey from the filthy lanes of his hometown to the international cricket stage is truly remarkable.
He bowls left-arm unorthodox spin for Uttar Pradesh and India in domestic cricket. For the Indian Premier League, he signed a contract with the Delhi Capitals. In the 2014 he played Under 19 World cup
Early days of Kuldeep Yadav
Left arm pacers are always a treat to watch, a thing which is soothing to eyes for cricket fans in this world whether its great Wasim Akram or MItchell Starc or Trent Boult or Zaheer Khan, you just name them the list is endless.
Kuldeep Yadav also started his career as an ambitious left-arm fast bowler with a dewy eye and an unfit build enrolled in a Kanpur academy with the goal of becoming the next Zaheer Khan and Wasim Akaram.
It took a while for Kuldeep and his coach Kapil Pandey to realize that his skills were not suitable for the job.
Then he chose to take the road which was less traveled that is becoming a left arm spin orthodox basically chinaman bowler.
China man Bowler
To put it simply, it’s essentially left-arm leg-spin, which is identical to right-arm leg-spin. A chinaman bowler brings the ball back into his strike zone while a leg spinner turns it away from the right hander, which can occasionally complicate matters. It is only natural for a right-handed batsman to anticipate that the ball will go away from them. Another name for it is left-arm unorthodox spin.
Since it makes a sharp turn to the right or away from the left hander, this unusual type is actually thought to be more dangerous
That makes Kuldeep Yadav a more deceptive and dangerous bowler.
International Career
Kuldeep was called up to the Indian squad for the 2017 home Test series against Australia Anil Kumble, the wrist spin wizard, gave him the Test cap in Dharamsala. The young man, who came in for an injured Virat Kohli, completely outplayed the experienced Australian batsmen, who were obviously taken stunned by the choice. With four wickets taken in his debut, Yadav set the stage for an overwhelming Indian victory and the return of the Border-Gavaskar trophy to India.
In 2017 Yadav got his 1st ODI call for the WestIndies tour where he emerged as the joint highest wicket taker in the series.
Till now he has played a combine of 150 international matches across the formats for India and has 278 international wickets with 10 five wicket-hauls across all the formats
He is the only spinner in the history of cricket with 3 international hat tricks of which one came in 2014 Under 19 WC.
Only Indian spinner with a 5 wicket haul in the all formats of cricket
Yadav is the only spinner in the history of cricket with 2 ODI hat tricks
IPL Career
The KKR team gave Kuldeep his due in the 2016 Indian Premier League, and he did not let them down. In three games, the slow-left arm bowler claimed six wickets. In 2018, he not only made waves in the Indian Premier League but also made quick progress on the international scene. In the same edition, he also won his first Man of the Match accolade in an IPL match. Kuldeep bowled a bewildering spell of 4 for 20 against RR to help KKR win comfortably.
But during the IPL, his decline in international performance was highlighted. After taking just 4 wickets from 9 games at an economy rate of 8.66 in 2019, he had poor returns in 2020 and had by far his worst season in 2019. After taking just one wicket in his four games, Kuldeep was removed from the KKR starting XI due to his lack of success. Due to a knee injury, he missed the remainder of the 2021 season after being benched for the first half. But after being selected by the Delhi Capitals in 2022, he stormed back to form. With 21 wickets in just 14 games during this IPL, it was his performance which got him retained in 2023 and 2024
Challenges and Comeback
Yadav has experienced hardships similar to those faced by all cricket players. His resolve was put to the test when his form declined and he was later left off the national team. After a bad ipl in 2020 and 2021 he was dropped from the national side and his continuous injuries were also the reason for the same. He worked very hard in NCA
IPL of 2022 was a come back year for him due to which he again got highlighted in the eyes of selectors was back in the team, and his consistent performance in 2022 and 2023 got him a place in 2023 ODI WC squad, and currently he is one of the best spinners in the modern day cricket with an impeccable record.
No cricket fan can forget his delivery to Babar Azam in the 2019 ODI WC, It was declared as ball of the century. Late Legendary spinner Shane Warne declared him as the next Shane Warne, and he is following the path of Warne to become next GOAT wrist spinner.
Conclusion
Within the vast and big stories of Indian cricket, where legends and skill are held in high regard, Kuleep Yadav stands tall as a source of inspiration and hope. Yadav’s journey acts as a reminder that dreams can come true in the game of cricket with passion and perseverance, as he continues to work his magic on the field.
I wish him all the best for his career and my he bring more glory and success to national side
