(AFP Photo)
Kuldeep Yadav, considered one of India’s top spinners across all formats in recent times, was sidelined throughout the group stage matches in the USA. However, he has now emerged as a potent force on spin-friendly Caribbean pitches, making a significant impact with his skillful spin bowling.
In just two appearances, Kuldeep has already secured five wickets, including a notable three-wicket performance against Bangladesh where he excelled.
When asked about the role of his experience playing in spin-friendly stadiums like the Chinnaswamy and Feroz Shah Kotla in preparing him for Caribbean conditions, Kuldeep emphasized that the pressure and dynamics of a World Cup are vastly different from those of the IPL. Thus, while the IPL experiences are valuable, they cannot fully replicate the challenges faced in a global tournament like the T20 World Cup.
“IPL is totally different, boss. I’ll let you know – that it’s totally different. What you experience in IPL is not what you are experiencing in T20 World Cup,” stated Kuldeep.
Certainly, when discussing the dynamics of playing at Feroz Shah Kotla, one of India’s smaller grounds, the wicket tends to favor spinners. Kuldeep Yadav acknowledged that while larger boundaries occasionally come into play, the favorable pitch conditions for spin bowling are advantageous.
However, for Kuldeep, the primary focus isn’t solely on ground dimensions or pitch characteristics. Instead, he emphasized the critical importance of adapting his bowling lengths based on the opposition when gearing up for a World Cup campaign.
“But at the same time, for any spinners around the globe, the length matters a lot. And especially in this format, you have to read what the batter are trying to do, but more aggressive, the approach should be like very – very aggressive. So that is actually helping me during IPL and it’s actually helping me in T20 World Cup.”
