Like Mitchell Starc and Nitish Rana, Kuldeep Yadav too will be another former Knight looking to trump Kolkata Knight Riders, when the Delhi Capitals host the three-time champions in New Delhi on Friday.
But the left-arm wrist-spinner is not in the best of form. In the ongoing IPL, Kuldeep has picked up only 7 wickets in nine innings.
Yes, the task for bowlers gets even tougher in the shortest format, especially when the conditions are loaded in favour of the batters. But these aren’t really alien conditions for Kuldeep.
If a lack of enough wickets wasn’t enough, Kuldeep’s economy rate at present is equally worrying, reading 10.36. Even young Shivang Kumar, the left-arm wrist-spinner from Madhya Pradesh, has better numbers (8 wickets from nine games) and economy rate (9.50) than Kuldeep in his debut IPL for Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Kuldeep’s lean patch is not only a concern for the Capitals, it will also worry Team India as the 31-year-old is considered an integral part of the team’s spin plans, and there are quite a few international assignments ahead.
It may not hurt Team India much in T20Is. But their focus for the remainder of this year and a good part of the next will be on the pending World Test Championship games and the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa. In both Tests and ODIs, Kuldeep’s services will be essential, especially in the longest format, where India need him to be at his sharpest, particularly in the home series against Australia beginning in January 2027.
Ravichandran Ashwin is no longer available, while Ravindra Jadeja’s bowling has been inconsistent. There is no certainty over Axar Patel’s presence either as he has played just one Test since February 2024. In such a situation, India’s hunt for a specialist spinner will only get harder if Kuldeep’s form too isn’t ideal.
“After the Capitals’ last match (versus Chennai Super Kings), I told Kuldeep to concentrate on bowling the right length. He has been wavering (in length) a little bit.
“He should also look to bowl the top-spin and the wrong’un, but hitting the good length is a must,” Kuldeep’s personal coach Kapil Pandey emphasised.
“Also, he featured in only one game (against Pakistan) in this year’s T20 World Cup. Not playing enough matches can affect a player’s rhythm and make him a bit rusty,” the coach pointed out.