Indian spinner Kuldeep Yadav believes he has regained his rhythm after a long injury layoff and expects to keep improving as the Champions Trophy progresses. The 30-year-old, who underwent surgery for a sports hernia last year, was sidelined for over three months before making his return to international cricket. On Sunday, Kuldeep Yadav played a pivotal role in India’s six-wicket victory over Pakistan, picking up three crucial wickets in the death overs and coming close to securing a hat-trick.
“Injuries take time to heal, and for me, it was about six months before I fully recovered,” Kuldeep Yadav shared in the Mixed Zone after the match. “I played two matches against England and felt that my rhythm was coming back. Even against Bangladesh, I felt good, though I didn’t get any wickets. Today, from my very first over, I sensed that I was in a much better rhythm, more comfortable with my bowling. I believe I can still improve as I play more matches.”
Kuldeep dismissed Salman Agha, Shaheen Afridi, and Naseem Shah, making a significant impact in the final overs.
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Discussing his approach, Kuldeep Yadav detailed his thought process while bowling: “In my first spell, I bowled a lot of Chinaman deliveries, with the wrong’un being my key variation. The first wicket, Salman, was a classic Chinaman delivery—slower but well-disguised in terms of pace. The second dismissal came on the very first ball of the spell, where I decided to go for a wrong’un, targeting the stumps. On slower pitches, incoming deliveries can be tough for batters, so that was part of my plan.”
Despite his impressive outing, Kuldeep remains focused on refining his accuracy. “Honestly, I still feel that I can be more precise with my deliveries. The more games I play, the better I will get at maintaining accuracy and mixing up my pace.”
Kuldeep Yadav feels he has found his rhythm following a comeback from injury and expects to get better with every game.https://t.co/0w1GxZRWk2
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Bowling in the death overs is often a challenge for spinners, but Kuldeep embraces the responsibility.
“It’s not easy to bowl in the last 10 overs, but I’ve become the go-to option for that phase. Even the captain trusts that spinners can be hard to hit when they have variations. The slow pitch worked in my favor—I mixed up my pace, used wrong’uns, and bowled topspins. Once you take a couple of wickets in the middle overs, the batters tend to become defensive, which helped me in the final overs. Playing against Pakistan always comes with immense pressure and expectations, but I enjoy it,” Kuldeep Yadav said.
Kuldeep Yadav also credited the National Cricket Academy (NCA) for helping him recover in time for the tournament.
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“I owe a lot to the NCA. I worked closely with Rajnikanth and Dhananjay, our physio, under Nitin Patel. I didn’t take any unnecessary breaks—I only took two days off, and even then, they called me back to continue my rehab. I was completely focused because I knew that any delay could mean missing the Champions Trophy. Honestly, I didn’t expect to recover in time, but the staff worked tirelessly, and I’m grateful for their efforts,” he concluded.
With his confidence soaring and his form improving, Kuldeep Yadav’s return to full fitness is a significant boost for Team India as they look to make a deep run in the tournament.
