Kuldeep Yadav was called up in the Playing XI for India in the later stages of the tournament. He has taken 10 wickets from four matches at an economy rate of 5.87.

The Indian cricket team is through to the final of the T20 World Cup 2024 after defeating defending champions England by 68 runs.

India posted a total of 171/7 in 20 overs. In reply, England were bundled out for 103 in 16.4 overs.

It was a day for spinners for the Indian side at the Providence stadium in Guyana in a rain-interrupted match. Indian spinners Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav took three scalps each to hand over the victory to India.

Kuldeep Yadav’s incredible run surely has created a buzz in the cricketing world. The wrist-spinner who was once on the verge of oblivion has risen from the ashes to make his presence felt and how!

The 29-year-old was called up in the Playing XI for India in the later stages of the tournament. He has taken 10 wickets from four matches at an economy rate of 5.87.

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Yadav’s comeback has been hailed by senior cricketers and experts.

“Kuldeep Yadav’s resurgence has been one of the greatest comebacks in the history of Indian cricket. His absence in the 2022 semi-final was a significant miss for India, but this time, he’s in prime form and ready to make a substantial impact. Kuldeep’s unorthodox left-arm wrist spin and the ability to extract turn and bounce, coupled with his deceptive variations, can be a game-changer in the middle overs,” said for Indian spin bowler Piyush Chawla ahead of the game against England.

The Dip That Kuldeep Had

Yadav slipped into a dark phase through the year 2020 and 2021. The bowler has appeared only in nine ODIs for India during the time period. His sub-par performance failed to earn him a place in the Indian team. 

The going got tougher for him when he was not included in a single game for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in IPL 2021. He pulled out of the tournament due to knee injury.

The Resurgence Of Kuldeep Yadav

The dispirited spinner subsequently went for rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru. It is at the NCA that Yadav worked on himself and found his mojo back.

Kuldeep Yadav came under the guidance of former Indian spinner and selector Sunil Joshi who helped him with improving his technique.

I’ve not lost my spin or drift. That hasn’t gone away. Perhaps my pace has increased a bit, which is helping me. I mainly think about hitting a good length as much as possible as a wrist spinner. What I think is that if you don’t bowl loose balls and stay consistent, it increases your chances of being successful” Yadav said after his rehab at the NCA.

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Yadav’s upgrade in his bowling abilities was also visible when he started playing for the Delhi Capitals (DC) in IPL 2022.

In 14 matches, Kuldeep took 21 wickets for DC in IPL 2022. He took 10 more wickets in IPL 2023.

Yadav also made an impact in the ICC World Cup 2023 where he took 15 wickets from 10 matches.