‘Sometimes you need a spell like this’: Kuldeep Yadav finds his rhythm, reminds why he remains a match-winner

Thiruvananthapuram: West Indies were comfortably placed at 107 for no loss when Kuldeep Yadav was brought into the attack in the 16th over. Fourteen balls into his spell, West Indies opener John Campbell top-edged a tossed-up delivery to short fine leg, giving India the breakthrough they needed.Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill would later soak in the applause for their batting. But it was Kuldeep who helped India turn the game around at the Greenfield International Stadium with flight, dip and guile.Kuldeep is a rhythm bowler. In his nine-year international career, whenever he hits his stride early, he reaps dividends. Sunday was a case in point. Kuldeep showcased his full repertoire, from the tossed-up delivery above the batter’s eyeline and the wrong one to the quickish fuller delivery. He displayed all his wares to finish with 4/40 and win the Player of the Match award.“Personally, I liked my rhythm. Just varying the pace and trying to read the batters, where they are going to hit me,” Kuldeep said after India’s eight-wicket win.“Sometimes to get that confidence back you need to have a spell like this,” the 31-year-old added.For a man with Kuldeep’s skill set, it is baffling why he gets so little match time. Since his debut in 2017, Kuldeep has taken 198 wickets in this format at an average of nearly 27. Of the 10 ODIs and 28 T20Is India have played this year, he has featured in five and four games respectively.Even Kuldeep’s long-form career has been a start-stop affair, featuring sporadically in 19 Tests since his debut against Australia in Dharamshala in 2017.“Kuldeep needs to be handled with care and used as a wicket-taking bowler. The more he bowls, the better he gets because it will help him get into rhythm. We were surprised that Kuldeep has been benched for so many games. Kuldeep is a match-winner and is one of the few mystery bowlers in the world,” former India left-arm spinner Venkatapathy Raju told TOI.Raju believes Kuldeep is a master of deception, capable of taking the pitch out of the equation.“Sometimes for the sake of team combinations you may have to drop Kuldeep. But you need to use him for all the crucial games. Kuldeep is India’s trump card in the 2027 World Cup because of the variety and wicket-taking ability,” Raju added.