'First 7 to 10 days were really tough' - Kuldeep Yadav reflects on India's World Cup final defeat

Veteran spinner Kuldeep Yadav reflected on his emotions after India's defeat to Australia in the final of the 2023 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup. Notably, the Men in Blue who emerged as the most successful team in the ten-team tournament failed to continue their winning momentum in the title clash.

He stated that it took almost ten days to move past the defeat against the Pat Cummins-led side. Just like all his teammates he also took more time to digest the loss.

"Starting was really difficult. The first 7 to 10 days were really tough. Whenever I was waking up, the thought of losing the World Cup final was haunting me. But life changes and moves on. 

"I got an opportunity to play in South Africa, I last played here in 2018 so I knew the conditions well. In cricket what you want never happens and you have to learn from them and implement those in future matches," Kuldeep said after the final T20I between India and South Africa.

Kuldeep further spoke about his match-winning economic spell during the third and final T20I against South Africa at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg on December 14. Celebrating his 29th birthday, Kuldeep claimed a five-wicket haul and helped India register a convincing 106-run win over the hosts. He added a new feather to his cap, becoming the second Indian bowler to take multiple fifers in T20Is after Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Additionally, the veteran also became the first Indian spinner to reach this milestone.

"It turned out to be a special day. I have never thought about taking five wickets. I just wanted the team to win which is more important. I was concerned about my bowling because I was playing after sometime, so wanted to get my rhythm. It was perfect today. The ball was coming out well from the hand and the conditions too suited the spinners a bit," he added.

Furthermore, the 29-year-old played in South Africa in 2018 but he sustained a knee injury in 2021 and he took a long hiatus from the game. However, he made a successful comeback and has been producing impressive spells since then.

"In 2018, I was very new and after that, a couple of years I struggled with my injury, and post-surgery I came back and made a few changes in my bowling, especially in my run-up. Trying to be more aggressive and just trying to bowl much straighter and focussing on length," he concluded.