Ouch indeed. When a captain brings up a jab like that out of the blue, and the interviewer follows it with \u201cabsolutely, on this surface\u201d, you can imagine how it lands \u2014 especially if you\u2019ve bowled three of your four overs, spent the entire innings in the field, and still felt the match go the way it did.<\/p>\n
With Delhi Capitals choosing to bat on a surface that seemed to promise help for spin as the contest unfolded, Kuldeep Yadav\u2019s figures stood out sharply. The opposition spin unit struck for 3 wickets while conceding 41 runs across seven overs. Axar Patel, too, finished with 1 for 25 in his four overs \u2014 yet Kuldeep ended up giving away 34 runs in three overs without taking a wicket.<\/p>\n
These results don\u2019t automatically become meaningless because they were discussed without context. Kuldeep\u2019s numbers were not the only reason the match tilted away from DC. The decision to bat first looked questionable, their batting didn\u2019t find the rhythm they needed and they were forced to bring in an additional specialist as the Impact Player. T Natarajan also had a tough outing. Still, it appears the frustration around Kuldeep\u2019s performances has been building for some time.<\/p>\n
Look at Kuldeep\u2019s IPL season totals and the sense of unease becomes easy to understand. Across this tournament, 21 spinners have bowled their quota beyond seven overs. None of them has leaked more runs per over than Kuldeep\u2019s 10.36. Equally telling is the wicket cost: no other bowler\u2019s wickets have come at a higher price than Kuldeep\u2019s seven scalps, and those wickets have arrived at an average of 44.42.<\/p>\n
He has time to fix things, but it\u2019s hard to argue against the idea that Kuldeep is having his worst IPL. Even in 2019, his lowest point in the league \u2014 when he managed only four wickets across nine matches \u2014 he still conceded at 8.66 an over. This season, he returned under heavy scrutiny in 2019, including from within his own camp, but in 2024 he has mostly slipped beneath the spotlight and played every game for Delhi Capitals, who currently sit seventh in the standings with just eight points from 10 matches.<\/p>\n
During DC coach Hemang Badani\u2019s press interaction, it was clear the team wanted more production from their wrist spinner \u2014 although he also sounded supportive. It isn\u2019t as if the squad is stocked with another proven match-winning option of that same spin profile.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe would ideally want to be better than this,\u201d Badani said. \u201cBut we will rally around him. He has been somebody who has been part of this side for many many years. He has done well for many many years. I think he can turn this around.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think more the case of someone striking form. He hasn\u2019t struck peak form yet. He hasn\u2019t bowled at the speeds he would normally bowl. It is a question of time. We have the faith in him.\u201d<\/p>\n
Back to pace, then. Kuldeep\u2019s slower tempo in the air has been present under the surface across his career, because it gives batters extra time to settle \u2014 even when they\u2019re beaten in flight. And for what it\u2019s worth, his pace this year doesn\u2019t look drastically different from the last IPL, when he took 15 wickets and went for 7.07 per over. At present, he remains the most likely option to bowl around the 86\u201387 kmph range.<\/p>\n
At that speed, you expect a spinner to extract more turn. But that balance hasn\u2019t quite materialised. Even in this meeting against Chennai Super Kings, Axar was able to get more grip than Kuldeep despite being a finger spinner, and despite bowling two overs with the new ball during the powerplay.<\/p>\n
That lack of turn is likely what DC\u2019s management should be most concerned about now \u2014 especially since they\u2019ve already put the spotlight squarely on Kuldeep.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Ouch indeed. When a captain brings up a jab like that out of the blue, and the interviewer follows it with \u201cabsolutely, on this surface\u201d,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":7734,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"IPL News: Axar on Kuldeep Struggles vs DC on Spin Surface","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Axar Ali addresses Kuldeep Yadav\u2019s struggles as Delhi Capitals tackle a spin-friendly IPL pitch vs DC\u2014what went wrong and what to expect next.","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7735","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ipl"],"yoast_head":"\n