Kuldeep Yadav’s story has never been about a smooth rise. It has been about falling out of favour, working quietly behind the scenes, and then coming back sharper than before. On Wednesday night in Dubai, that journey felt complete once again as he ripped through the UAE line-up with four wickets, setting the tone for India’s emphatic start to their Asia Cup campaign.
India’s nine-wicket win looked routine on paper, thanks for Kuldeep’s wizardry. Just a few years ago, he had slipped out of the Indian set-up and was even struggling for game time in the IPL. Now, he is back as one of the first names on the team sheet.
Wasim Akram recalls hungry Kuldeep
For Wasim Akram, there is no surprise in how Kuldeep has found his way back. The former Pakistan great worked with him during his Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) stint and remembers a young spinner who would never stop asking questions or trying to learn.
“Leg-spinner, googly, flipper. Even I can’t read him sitting here. Even with a replay, it’s impossible,” Akram said on Sony Sports. “I remember meeting Kuldeep when he was very young, when he joined Knight Riders. He and Mohammed Shami were with me all the time — breakfast, lunch, dinner, during the game. If they weren’t playing, they were sitting with me. They were hungry. Kuldeep was hungry.”
Akram also spoke warmly about Shami, narrating how the pacer once drove him to the airport simply to hear him talk cricket. “Credit to them. I’m really proud of these boys, and they’ve done incredibly well for their country,” he added.
The hunger Akram described has defined Kuldeep’s turnaround. When batters began to pick his variations a few years ago, he lost his place in the side. Instead of being written off, he went back to the basics, worked on his fitness, and tightened his control.
The Kuldeep on show in Dubai wasn’t surprising at all. He is the first name on the teem sheet ever since 2023, being an asset to first Rohit Sharma and now to Suryakumar Yadav. “Was working on my bowling and my fitness as well, everything is going perfectly. Tried to hit the right length and it matters a lot, reading the batters on what they are trying to do,” Kuldeep said after being named Player of the Match.
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