Kuldeep Yadav

Kuldeep Yadav is an Indian international cricketer. A left – arm unorthodox spinner, he plays for Uttar Pradesh in domestic cricket and Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League. He was an integral member of the Indian team that won the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup.

Early life & Domestic Career:

• Yadav has played for the Indian Under – 19 cricket team and played in the 2014 Under – 19 Cricket World Cup.
• Yadav was born in Unnao but raised in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, the son of a brick kiln owner.
• In an interview, he revealed that it was his father who wanted him to continue playing cricket and even took him to a coach.
• Inspired by bowling greats Wasim Akram and Zaheer Khan, he wanted to become a left – arm seamer. However, given his slight build, his coach insisted on him becoming a wrist – spin bowler as he was impressed with the turn and variations he was providing unknowingly at the trials.
• Since then, he started following and watching videos of Shane Warne’s bowling and made him his role model.

Indian Premier League (IPL) T20 Franchise Career:

• Yadav was a member of the Mumbai Indians squad in 2012 and signed up by the Kolkata Knight Riders in 2014, whom he represented at the 2014 Champions League Twenty20.
• In January 2018, Yadav was bought back by KKR in the 2018 IPL auction.
• Four years later, he was bought by Delhi Capitals in the auction for the 2022 season.
• Yadav won the player – of – the – match award four times, most by any player that season.

International Career:

• Test debut: against Australia in Dharmsala on 25 March 2017
• Yadav is the first left – arm wrist spin bowler to represent India national cricket team in Test cricket.
• He is also only the third such bowler in Test cricket to take four wickets on debut.
• One Day International (ODI) debut: for India against the West Indies on 23 June 2017
• Twenty20 International (T20I) debut: for India against the West Indies on 9 July 2017
• On 21 September 2017, Yadav became the third bowler for India to take a hat – trick in an ODI after Chetan Sharma and Kapil Dev. He took the hat – trick at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, against Australia.
• On 3 July 2018, Yadav took his first five – for in a T20I and also became the first left – arm wrist – spin bowler to take five wickets in a T20I during the first T20I against England.
• In fact, he also became only the third Indian after Yuzvendra Chahal and Bhuvneshwar Kumar to take a five – wicket haul in a T20I.
• On 12 July 2018, during the first ODI against England, Yadav grabbed his maiden five – wicket haul in an ODI and also set a new record for registering the best bowling figures by a left – arm spin bowler of any kind in an ODI (6/25).
• He also shattered the record of Shahid Afridi for registering the best bowling figures by a spinner against England in ODIs and also broke Afridi’s record for recording the best ever bowling figures by a spinner in an ODI in England.
• On 6 October 2018, in the first test against West Indies, Yadav took his first five – wicket haul in Tests.
• On 11 February 2019, Yadav moved to second position in the T20I Bowlers Rankings.
• In India’s first match, against Pakistan, Yadav returned figures of 5/25, becoming the fifth bowler for his country to claim a five – wicket haul against Pakistan, and helped his team win by 228 runs.
• In the following match against Sri Lanka, he delivered another match – winning performance, claiming 4/43, and in the process, became the quickest Indian spinner to reach 150 ODI wickets in terms of matches played (88), going past Anil Kumble. He finished with nine wickets; India won the tournament, and Yadav was named player of the tournament.

Major Achievements:

• On 18 December 2019, against the West Indies, he became the first bowler for India to take two hat – tricks in international cricket.
• On 17 January 2020, in the second ODI against Australia, Yadav became the fastest spin bowler for India, in terms of innings, to take 100 wickets in ODI cricket, in his 58th innings.
• He helped his national side to win the 2018 Asia Cup as he took the most wickets during the tournament at 10 along with Rashid Khan and Mustafizur Rahman, and being the highest wicket taker for India.
• Yadav won the player – of – the – match award four times, most by any player in the 2022 season.