Kuldeep Yadav’s aggressive approach has been the key to his instant success in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024. India’s premier spinner across formats for the past year, Kuldeep was initially benched during the tournament’s league stage in the USA due to the pace-friendly pitches in New York. However, he was expected to play a significant role on the spin-friendly tracks of the Caribbean, and he is delivering exactly that in the Super Eight stage.
Kuldeep has already taken five wickets in the two matches he’s played, including a three-wicket haul against Bangladesh on Saturday. His success can be largely attributed to his fearless approach. He never hesitates to bowl a consistent length, even when batters are looking to attack. The Bangladesh batters found it difficult to pick his deliveries, and he ultimately dominated them. He dismissed opener Tanzid Hasan with a googly before trapping Towhid Hridoy in front with a straighter delivery. Shakib Al Hasan was his third victim.
Explaining his mindset, Kuldeep emphasized that he doesn’t compromise on his length. “For any spinner around the globe, the length matters a lot. And especially in this format, you have to read what the batter is trying to do, be more aggressive, the approach should be like very aggressive. So that actually helped me during IPL and it’s actually helping me in T20 World Cup,” he said.
His next challenge will be against Australia on Monday, which promises to be a tougher test. When asked how he maintains his game plan even when batters are looking for boundaries, Kuldeep stated, “When the other team needs like 10 runs or 12 runs per over and the batter is going against you, my plan is to just stick with the length. “When they try to attack you, if you have a proper plan against them and you are bowling in probably the better length and you have maximum chances of getting the batter out. So that is my thinking, not thinking I have to get him out, just the length.”
Kuldeep hinted at his awareness of the team’s strategy in the Caribbean, having been sidelined in New York due to the pitches favoring pace bowlers. “Obviously, I wasn’t playing. Actually, I was playing as a 12th man there. I was helping out the teammates and carrying the drinks. That is more like playing. I didn’t bowl there, but I would have loved to bowl there. “But it was more like an Australian sort of wicket. But here I played, I made my T20 ODI debut here back in 2017. I knew the conditions very well, just the length and trying to vary my pace. So it is nice for spinners to come here and bowl. “Now in Super Eight’s, we have a lot of pressure as well. We’re going to play Australia in a couple of days’ time. The wickets are good for spinners, as you have seen in the last few games as well. We got four overs, and that was my plan. Just sticking with the length and varying my pace,” he added.
