Delhi Capitals finished their IPL 2026 campaign with a comfortable win against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens here on Sunday. Kuldeep Yadav emerged as the highest wicket-taker for DC, which helped them win the match. Kuldeep was also named Player of the Match for his bowling figure of 29/3. He opined on his wickets and bowling plans during the post-match presentation.
“Obviously, I was very clear with my plan. I saw early on that the wicket was a bit slow, and I was just trying to vary the pace, mix it up with scrambled seam and try to deceive the batter. The wicket of Rinku was a perfect example because I tried to slow it down through the air, and he played it straight away, so it was a good ball to get him out,” he said.
Kuldeep Yadav also dismissed KKR skipper Ajinkya Rahane (63 off 39 balls), all-rounder Cameron Green (2 off 3 balls) and swashbuckling batter Rinku Singh for a golden duck.
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“I’m happy, extremely happy with whatever has gone right through the season. To be very honest, I wasn’t happy before this match because the way we wanted as a team to have a great season, we couldn’t finish in the top four. Personally, I thought I didn’t have a great season, to be very honest, because I was expecting more from myself, but I couldn’t deliver this season. But after the last game, I went back home and worked with my coach on the things I needed to improve. I played one game there and realised it was just the small things you forget very quickly, especially in white-ball cricket. To go there, work on those things and come back here and bowl like that, it was lovely to see,” he added.
Kuldeep Yadav also said what has been going wrong with his bowling. He added, “I thought I was bowling a bit more open-chested and sometimes not using my full body. What happens then is you just push the ball, and that’s where T20 batters become extremely strong to hit you down the ground and play off the back foot. Once you start using more of your body and try to spin the ball harder, ultimately you see the results. You get the dip and the drift, and obviously, you can vary the pace as well. It was lovely to see, and I think it was a lovely game for me, especially coming back from the last game.”
However, Kuldeep Yadav was at a point on a hat-trick, and he nearly achieved that, but a dropped catch by young wicketkeeper-batter Abishek Porel denied him his hat-trick as well.
Kuldeep Yadav said, “It happens in the game, and I’m very happy with the performance, to be very honest. Getting a hat-trick or not is just part of the game, but the way I bowled, I’m pleased now.”
“Hundred per cent. When I spoke to my coach, he was really straightforward with me and said, “Boss, you need to spin the ball. Try to deceive the batter.” I understand that batters are going hard against you, but when you’re spinning the ball, you always have a chance to get them out. I also wasn’t using my full body in the last couple of games. I thought I bowled well in patches, but when you miss something in your run-up or rhythm, it ultimately affects your game,” Kuldeep Yadav concluded.
