Kuldeep Yadav is one of the very few left-arm wrist spinners in international cricket, and might just be the very best in this very particular craft. From showing early promise, to falling out of the Indian cricket team, to a triumphant return, the Uttar Pradesh native has had quite the roller coaster of a career.
Yadav is currently one of the best spinners in the world, no doubt. And while he is an all-format regular, he is not a lock every time the team enters the field for reasons outside of his control. Kuldeep provides any team he plays for not only a world-class spinner, but a type of spinner very rarely seen at top-level cricket.
Kuldeep Yadav Stats: Batting
| Format | Matches | Ins. | Runs | B.F. | H.S. | Avg. | S/R | N.O. | 4s | 6s | 50s | 100s | 200s |
| Tests | 13 | 17 | 199 | 698 | 40 | 13.26 | 28.51 | 02 | 18 | 01 | 00 | 00 | 00 |
| ODIs | 113 | 42 | 207 | 407 | 19 | 9.85 | 50.85 | 21 | 14 | 00 | 00 | 00 | 00 |
| T20Is | 40 | 07 | 46 | 59 | 23* | 11.50 | 77.96 | 03 | 02 | 00 | 00 | 00 | 00 |
| IPL | 98 | 38 | 201 | 232 | 35* | 13.40 | 86.63 | 23 | 18 | 03 | 00 | 00 | 00 |
Kuldeep Yadav Stats: Bowling
| Format | Matches | Ins. | Balls | Wics. | Runs | B.Fig | Avg. | Econ. | S/R | 4w | 5w | 10w |
| Tests | 13 | 24 | 2093 | 56 | 1241 | 5/40 | 22.16 | 3.55 | 37.3 | 03 | 04 | 00 |
| ODIs | 113 | 110 | 5754 | 181 | 4786 | 6/25 | 26.44 | 4.99 | 31.7 | 07 | 02 | 00 |
| T20Is | 40 | 39 | 860 | 69 | 971 | 5/17 | 14.07 | 6.77 | 12.4 | 01 | 02 | 00 |
| IPL | 98 | 95 | 2052 | 102 | 2749 | 4/14 | 26.95 | 8.03 | 20.1 | 04 | 00 | 00 |
Kuldeep Yadav Stats: Fielding
| Format | Matches | Catches |
| Tests | 13 | 04 |
| ODIs | 113 | 17 |
| T20Is | 40 | 12 |
| IPL | 98 | 20 |
Kuldeep Yadav Career Overview
Kuldeep Yadav was born in Unnao, Uttar Pradesh, on December 14, 1994. As a child, he wanted to become a left-arm pacer, but his coaches advised him to take up spin due to his shorter build. He was picked by the Mumbai Indians in IPL 2012 at the age of 17, but did not play a game. In 2014, he was India’s highest wicket-taker in the U-19 World Cup, scalping 14 in just six games. He was also picked for the Indian Cricket team that same year, but did not play a match.
Kuldeep made his IPL debut in 2016 for the Kolkata Knight Riders. He played three games that season and took six wickets. In 2017, he played 12 matches and took as many wickets. Right before the 2017 season, he made his national team debut when he played a test against Australia and took four wickets in the game. In the same year, he would also make his T20I and ODI debuts.
Over the next couple of years, he would play sporadically for the Indian Cricket Team and, in 2019, rise as high as second in the ICC T20I bowlers rankings. However, during and right after the pandemic, he would suffer from several injuries. He dropped out of the national team, had a dismal 2020 IPL season, and didn’t even play in 2021.
2022 brought a fresh start for Yadav. Having tweaked his action to bowl a little straighter and faster, the old Kuldeep Yadav looked like a broken mess, while the new one looked to conquer the world. In IPL 2022, for the Delhi Capitals, he took 21 wickets in 14 games, his best tally in the league.
Around the same time, he made a return to the Indian Cricket Team and impressed. He did well in the 2023 tour to the West Indies. And in the Asia Cup the same year, he took a fifer against Pakistan. In the 2023 ODI World Cup, Kuldeep took 15 wickets in 11 games and, by 2024, would make a return to the Test team, playing against England and New Zealand at home.
In 2024, Kuldeep Yadav became one of the best active spin bowlers in the world. In the harsh conditions of the US and the Windies during the T20 World Cup that year, Yadav took 10 wickets in five matches as India won their first World Cup in 13 years. He is currently part of the Indian squad on the Test tour to India but has not played a match due to the conditions.
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