Cricket

Kuldeep Yadav, the left-arm wrist-spinner, is set to join India's T20 World Cup squad in the US, buoyed by a successful Indian Premier League (IPL) season. Despite Delhi Capitals' failure to reach the playoffs, Yadav's personal performance has given him the rhythm and confidence to excel in the upcoming ICC event.In a recent interview with Robin Uthappa, Yadav revealed a technical change he has implemented in his bowling to regain his peak form. "I have changed my rhythm," he explained. "Now that I have an aggressive rhythm, my ball is not dropping in a loop. It will go when I want it to; when I try to deliver like that, it will go, otherwise not."This adjustment has allowed Yadav to reduce the height of his deliveries while maintaining their effectiveness. "The rhythm that I have now, if I can turn that much in this rhythm, then I don't need to flight it that much," he said. "You can do that at times to trap the batsman, but can't deliver that way consistently."Yadav's 16 wickets in 11 innings for Delhi Capitals in IPL 2024, with an economy rate of 8.65 and strike rate of 16.12, demonstrate his improved form. He will join fellow wrist-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, and Ravindra Jadeja in the Indian squad for the T20 World Cup, where the pitches are expected to favor slow bowlers.India's campaign begins against Ireland on June 5, followed by the highly anticipated clash with Pakistan on June 9. USA and Canada are the other teams in India's group. Yadav's aggressive rhythm and newfound control will be crucial for India's success in the tournament.

Kuldeep Yadav's Three-Wicket Haul Powers Delhi Capitals to Victory Over Lucknow Super GiantsDelhi Capitals' wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav made a triumphant return to the side after a three-match absence due to a groin injury, claiming three crucial wickets in the IPL 2024 match against Lucknow Super Giants.Yadav's economical spell of 4-0-20-3 proved instrumental in restricting Lucknow to a modest total of 167/7. The left-arm spinner struck twice in his opening over, dismissing Marcus Stoinis and Nicholas Pooran on consecutive deliveries.Stoinis' dismissal came off a well-flighted delivery that induced a leading edge, while Pooran was bamboozled by a straighter delivery that uprooted his off stump. Yadav's third wicket came in the form of KL Rahul, who was caught off guard by a quicker delivery and departed for 39.Despite Yadav's early strikes, Lucknow fought back valiantly, led by Ayush Badoni's quick-fire unbeaten half-century. Badoni smashed 55 runs off just 35 balls, including four boundaries and three sixes, to help his team recover from a precarious position.However, Delhi's bowlers held their nerve in the face of Badoni's onslaught, with Shardul Thakur and Mustafizur Rahman claiming two wickets each. The Capitals' fielding was also sharp, with Rishabh Pant taking a stunning catch to dismiss Deepak Hooda.In the end, Delhi's disciplined bowling and fielding proved too much for Lucknow, who fell short of their target by 10 runs. The victory was a crucial one for the Capitals, who moved up to third place in the IPL standings.