Boria Majumdar
Kuldeep Yadav will be 31 in December. Yet, in a superb international career that has seen him take 306 wickets from 166 matches across all formats, it’s almost staggering to note that only 13 of those caps have come in Tests. Wretched luck with injuries hasn’t helped, and neither did the presence of R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja – two of the all-time greats – in the Indian side. But with Ashwin now retired, Kuldeep has an incredible opportunity to nail down a place on the upcoming five-Test tour of England. In this exclusive interview with Boria Majumdar, RevSportz editor-in-chief, Kuldeep sets up the England series, while also looking back at the challenges he has overcome.
Boria: How does it feel to get back into the Indian team, that too for such an important series and in the phase of transition?
Kuldeep: Yes, definitely feels good to be back in the Indian team, after missing out on the Australia series due to injuries. The Champions Trophy win and IPL journey have been a part of my comeback, but a Test series is a very big deal for any cricketer. And I want this series to get done in a good way.
Boria: Are you in the best rhythm? Are you able to win this in the mind?
Kuldeep: There is this thing with spinners, which is ‘reading the batsmen’, that comes with time and experience. I personally think I have developed that sense of understanding the batsmen’s next move, especially due to my experience playing T20, where it is essential. And this skill is definitely going to help in red-ball cricket as well to plan my strategy accordingly. It gives a bowler a different sense of confidence when the bowling style can be adjusted with the batsmen’s strength and weakness. So, the challenge here is to decide on the move, because the batsman on the other hand is also trying to predict your movement. But I feel I am in a frame to do that reading better.
Boria: How difficult has it been to make multiple comebacks, as in your case, due to injuries time and again?
Kuldeep: As a young player, when I came into the team, I was too raw to understand much about pressure, failure et cetera, but with experience I have learnt to not think much about results and focus on my preparation. This has helped me to stay calm and eventually better my skills. It was very difficult when the first injury happened, but after that, I learnt to handle things calmly and just focus on the preparation and process. That failure taught me a lot and, also, the changes I brought into my bowling style have made a difference too.
Boria: What type of changes have you brought?
Kuldeep: Changes in terms of increasing the pace, cutting the angle, reading the batter, working on the length, and giving the batsman a challenging length. And this applies to all the formats.
Boria: Given the difference in scenarios, how do you prepare differently for overseas tours? Both mentally and skill-wise.
Kuldeep: I am a very mentally relaxed person. I don’t usually tweak my attacking mindset which I have by default, but otherwise I don’t think much or think differently when playing overseas. I have grown up practicing on a cemented wicket and never had access to turf when young. So, I am used to everything. But one thing that is important when playing overseas is the revs (revolutions) – i.e. how much is the ball spinning. The art of a spinner mainly is in the air – if the ball starts dipping and drifting, then it affects the same way, no matter where is one playing. But I enjoy playing all formats on all sorts of wickets, be it India or overseas. Just that I need to understand the conditions, weather et cetera, once there in England and adapt accordingly.
Boria: Former cricketers, journalists are appreciating your skill a lot, and saying that you can be the X-factor. Does this put an extra pressure on you?
Kuldeep: (Laughs). No, I do not feel any pressure as I feel it is not something that one should take pressure for. I think if one gets a good opportunity and gives their best, then it is a done job there. I have played against England last year, and have the idea about their playing style. The only thing is that one has to be very alert all the time and stay focused. Unlike other teams, with England team, one cannot relax and play defensive. England bat in a very aggressive manner so one has to very much be in the game and plan your overs accordingly. I learnt a lot about fielding playing that England series, so will hope to apply those learnings this time in England. And most importantly, enjoy my bowling as that is what gets you wickets.
Boria: Every run matters when overseas and I have seen you contributing with your bat in the past. So, is that also a part of your plan this time, to focus on your batting?
Kuldeep: I have confidence in my defence and technique with the red ball, and I’m definitely looking forward to spend more time at the wicket and add whatever runs I can to the scoreboard. There’s all the time in Test cricket, so I would hope to at least just stay down there and not lose my wicket. I had a good stint last series against England so I am keeping my preparation in place. For, if I must bat, then I should be able to handle the pressure of the first two overs and stick on after that as well.
Boria: What special adjustments do you have to make while bowling with the Dukes and Kookaburra balls in these conditions?
Kuldeep: When I played in 2018 [at Lord’s] with the Dukes, I personally experienced that Dukes are a bit hard and drifts more. So, as a spinner, if one can control that, then it can be challenging for the batsmen. Because it is hard , it bounces more and the spin is very sharp if one gets a spin-friendly track. It’s a bit like the SG ball and the seam is protruding. Kookaburra, on the other hand, is very different and gives spinners a very good grip due to its rounded nature. I like it personally. But overall, it takes adjustment and time spent with the ball to get used to it.
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— RevSportz Global (@RevSportzGlobal) June 9, 2025