India have played 16 ODIs in 2023. Kuldeep Yadav has played in 15 of them. It helps to play regularly, at least in white-ball cricket. In red-ball cricket, that stability has eluded him. He was shockingly dropped after a Man-of-the-Match effort in the first Test against Bangladesh in Chattogram in December.
But in the 15 ODIs that Kuldeep has played in, the chinaman bowler has picked up 31 scalps, including the 5-25 vs Pakistan and 4-43 vs Sri Lanka at Colombo's R Premadasa stadium, venue of the Super Four clashes of the Asia Cup. It's the most by any Indian bowler this year.
In September 2021, after suffering a serious fall in the IPL in the Emirates while practising for Kolkata Knight Riders, he underwent knee surgery.
It turned out to be a blessing in disguise. He had time to reboot. An angular run-up and releasing the ball at a slower pace often allowed batters the time to adjust and line him up. "He bowls too slowly," was the constant feedback by experts that saw him bowl.
But the enforced break allowed him time to work on his game. "It's been one and a half years (two) since I had surgery. The run-up has become straighter. The rhythm has become aggressive. My hand used to fall over earlier. Now, it faces the batter more."
Apart from turn, one thing that spinners look for is drift and dip. Kuldeep is no different. He knew that despite incorporating all those technical changes in his game, he could not afford to lose the ability to turn the cricket ball." I did not lose my spin and drift," he said after India's 228-run win.
"My pace increased as well. If the wrist-spinner lands the ball on a good length, there are more chances of picking up a wicket. A wrist spinner does bowl loose balls, but if you can become consistent, you can succeed."
1/10:Asia Cup: India beat Sri Lanka to reach final
AFP
2/10:India in final
<p>Kuldeep Yadav starred as India overcame a brilliant all-round effort from Sri Lanka's Dunith Wellalage to win a tense Asia Cup clash by 41 runs on Tuesday and book a place in the final. </p>AFP
3/10:Kuldeep Yadav
<p>Kuldeep took four wickets including the final two as India defended 213, bowling out Sri Lanka for 172 to silence a large home crowd at Colombo's R. Premadasa Stadium. </p>AFP
4/10:2nd straight Super 4 win
<p>India recorded their second straight Super Four win in the 50-over tournament and ended Sri Lanka's 13-match winning streak in ODIs. </p>AFP
5/10:Sri Lanka all out
<p>Wellalage, who claimed his maiden ODI five-wicket haul, remained unbeaten on 42 when he ran out of partners as Kuldeep wrapped up the SL tail in 41.3 overs. </p>AP
6/10:Rohit Sharma
<p>Rohit Sharma entered an elite list of players with over 10,000 ODI runs and hit his second successive fifty for a brisk start but Wellalage hit back. </p>Getty Images
7/10:Dunith Wellalage
<p>Dunith Wellalage returned figures of 5-40 including the wickets of Rohit and Virat Kohli with strong support from Charith Asalanka, who claimed 4/18. </p>AP
8/10:Spin sensation
<p>Wellalage struck with his first ball of the match when he bowled Shubman Gill for 19 and there was no looking back for the young spinner. </p>AFP
9/10:3 wickets in 3 overs
<p>Wellalage made the home fans erupt with the wicket of Kohli (3) and Rohit was also bowled by Wellalage who snared his third scalp in three overs. </p>AFP
10/10:Vital stand
<p>Ishan Kishan, who made 33, and previous-match centurion KL Rahul attempted to rebuild the innings with a stand of 63. </p>AFPThe need to remodel his action was on the advice of NCA physio Ashish Koushik as he felt the earlier one was putting too much load on his knee.
But all change takes time. Kuldeep too struggled initially. He made peace with the fact that he will not feature in the T20 World Cup in Australia despite being fifth in the 2022 IPL wicket-takers' list for new franchise Delhi Capitals, for whom he picked up 21 scalps in 14 games and focused on improving his 50-over skills.
His first wicket for his new franchise was that of India and MI skipper Rohit Sharma at the Brabourne. The faster rhythm is working now. He tried it first in a practice game in Kanpur and saw that the batters were struggling to read him. Just like the batters of Pakistan and Sri Lanka in Colombo.
