'Aggressive approach helps me' - Kuldeep Yadav highlights factors behind success

Despite being India's most consistent spinner in terms of both reliability and wicket-taking since the beginning of 2023, Kuldeep Yadav remained benched throughout India's entire group-stage campaign at the T20 World Cup 2024. However, this was not due to any fault of his own, but rather a prudent decision made by the management considering the challenging pitch conditions favoring pacers. 

However, his prowess became unmistakable once he was included in the XI at the onset of the Super Eights. He quickly asserted himself, reaffirming his status by taking five wickets in two matches for just 51 runs in eight overs.

On the eve of India's highly-anticipated showdown against Australia, Kuldeep provided insights into his bowling philosophy for spinners worldwide. He emphasised the critical importance of length in T20Is, a format typically favorable to batters.

Kuldeep suggested that, akin to batters' aggressive tactics, spin bowlers should adopt a proactive mindset by analysing their opponents' strategies. He underscored that this approach had proven beneficial for him during the latest edition of the IPL and continued to contribute to his performance in the T20 World Cup 2024.

"For any spinner around the globe, the length matters a lot. And especially in this format, you've to read what the batter is trying to do, be more aggressive, the approach should be very aggressive. So, that actually helped me during the IPL and it’s actually helping me in the T20 World Cup,” said Kuldeep on Saturday, as quoted by Sportstar.

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Remarkably, Kuldeep had an outstanding IPL 2024 for himself, securing 16 wickets in 11 matches for the Delhi Capitals, with an economy rate of 8.65. This achievement is particularly noteworthy, given the conditions batters enjoyed and made merry in on almost every occurrence this year.

Kuldeep also stressed on the need of maintaining precision in length, which he believes has contributed significantly to his success. He highlighted his focus on delivering the ball at the optimal length rather than solely aiming to take wickets.

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“When they try to attack you, if you have a proper plan against them and you are bowling better lengths, you have maximum chances of getting the batter out. So, that's my thinking, not thinking I've to get him out, just the length,” added Kuldeep.