Five wickets for 42 runs in eight overs – Kuldeep Yadav’s enviable record in the 2025 IPL. In short, the Delhi Capitals spinner has been one of the shining lights of the tournament so far. And that too in an IPL where batters have been exploring every nook and cranny of the ground.
Just consider this – In the DC-LSG game, five of DC’s seven bowlers went at over 10 an over. However, in those batting-friendly conditions, in Vizag, Kuldeep ended up with redoubtable figures of 2 for 20. He continued his rich vein of form in the very next game against the marauding Sunrisers Hyderabad, bagging three wickets.
But just around a month or two ago, things seemed different for one of the experienced spinners going around in Indian cricket. The left-arm wrist spinner struggled to some extent during the ODI series versus England and in the first game of the Champions Trophy versus Bangladesh. It was in the subsequent encounter against Pakistan that Kuldeep turned his fortunes around by taking three scalps. In fact, at one point of time, he was going at almost five an over in that game. However, a couple of wickets in a single over gave him the necessary confidence.
Kuldeep also ended the campaign on a high by plucking two wickets in the summit clash versus New Zealand. Somewhere it tells us that Kuldeep is a genuine wicket-taker who deserves to be backed when he is going through a bit of a bad patch. In the ongoing IPL, it isn’t just about his variations, but he also has the added advantage of having the left-arm angle while bowling to the right-hand batters.
In simple words, while facing a left-arm over-the wicket bowler, the right-handed batter has to open himself up a bit to negate the angle. So, it could become a little more difficult to line-up the bowler and hit through the line. Kuldeep can also go round the wicket to sow more doubts in the batter’s mind. With Kuldeep also turning it both ways and possessing the flipper, he has the required weapons to befuddle the best in the business.
Incidentally, in IPL 2025, left-arm wrist spinners are ruling the roost, which also include Noor Ahmed and the young Vignesh Puttur. The experienced Kuldeep, though, is leading the young brigade with his box of tricks.