With seven wickets in two matches in the ongoing Asia Cup in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Kuldeep Yadav is relishing bowling on pitches he terms as ‘perfect for wrist-spinners’.
The left-arm wrist-spinner was part of India’s victorious ICC Champions Trophy campaign in Dubai in February-March this year, but said the pitches back then were much slower.
“These wickets [in Dubai] are perfect for wrist-spinners, because you get the bounce and the zip. Compared to the Champions Trophy, the wickets were very slow, and you had to put a lot of revs on the ball and get extra bounce and pace as well.
“For batters, too, it is perfect, compared to the Champions Trophy. It was very difficult for batters to score runs,” Kuldeep said in the pre-match press conference on Thursday, ahead of India’s last group stage match against Oman.
Learning from the sidelines
Kuldeep can switch as seamlessly from discussing the technicalities of his craft to philosophical chin-stroking as he does when rifling through his bag of variations.
His exclusion from India’s playing XI for the entirety of the five-match Test series in England earlier this year became the major talking point during the press conference, and Kuldeep repeatedly referred to it as a learning curve.
ALSO READ: India gears up for another Pakistan clash with a prelude against Oman in Asia Cup 2025
“I couldn’t play in England because of the conditions and the team combination. But it was a good time for me to work on myself and improve my fitness. You learn a lot even when you are not playing. You see how the team reacts in certain situations, your judgement improves, and you can visualise how you would react to a certain situation,” Kuldeep explained.
A keen follower of football and an avowed Barcelona and Liverpool fan, Kuldeep also draws inspiration from the beautiful game when he is on the bench.
“When you follow other sports, you get to know how it feels when the team is performing really well, and you see their bench strength, which is unbelievable,” Kuldeep said.
Excellence and reinvention
After spending the English summer on the bench and a wicketless but valuable Duleep Trophy match for Central Zone, Kuldeep made a seamless return to international cricket against the UAE, picking a jaw-dropping four for seven before shutting the door on Pakistan with a three for 18.
The game against Pakistan was only Kuldeep’s third competitive match since he underwent a sports hernia surgery last year, which kept him out of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series in Australia.
Aware of the crests and troughs while playing the game, Kuldeep has made the pursuit of excellence his aim.
“I don’t think I am bowling very well. I can still improve. In this format, you sometimes make mistakes while reading the batter.
“When you are on top, you don’t notice the small mistakes, but you can feel that you made them. I need to work harder on my bowling because there are other formats too,” Kuldeep explained.
Having been through a career rejuvenation a couple of years ago, thanks to technical changes, including altering his run-up, quickening his pace, and straightening his release point, Kuldeep is alert to the risk of rust settling in with limited game time.
“As a wrist-spinner, I feel your release point, finish, and body weight transfer are very important. When you are not playing, these things play on your mind a lot. But with the help of the video analyst, you get an idea of how you are bowling.”
‘Batting depth’ is probably a word Kuldeep would be wary of, having lost his place in the Test team in England to it. However, he is as secure in his craft as he is open to reinvention and readjustment.
He admits to sharpening his ability with the bat in the nets, but isn’t contemplating diverting his attention too much from his primary skill.
“Bowling is my strength. I will always be picked as a bowler in any team. My job will be to pick wickets, and if I can’t do that, there will be no place for me in the team,” he said.
Published on Sep 18, 2025
The postAsia Cup 2025: From warming benches in England to taking centrestage in Dubai, Kuldeep savours moment in the sun appeared first on Sportstar
