Sunil Narine was ahead of his time, I learned a lot from him when I was with KKR: Kuldeep Yadav

Kuldeep Yadav explained how he improved his craft by playing alongside the legendary Sunil Narine during his days at Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). After falling off the radar for a couple of seasons, Kuldeep has bounced back strongly and is producing the goods for the Delhi Capitals (DC).

The left-arm wrist-spinner recently spoke about the challenges of bowling in the Indian Premier League (IPL) against some high-quality batters. He stressed the importance of trying to dominate in the T20 format. Kuldeep mentioned the likes of Sunil Narine and Jasprit Bumrah, who have done that consistently. The Uttar Pradesh cricketer also spoke about the influence of the KKR spinner on his career.

"The IPL is very tough for bowlers—it’s highly competitive. You may pick up wickets, but you can’t always expect to maintain an economy of just 6 or 7 runs per over. It’s a challenging format with high-quality players. As a bowler, you must aim to dominate," Kuldeep said on JioHotstar’s special show 'Gen Bold.’

"Players like Jasprit Bumrah and Sunil Narine have done that consistently. I learned a lot from Sunil Narine when I was with KKR—he was ahead of his time. He always emphasised the importance of bowling length. Back then, I believed I could rely solely on my skills, but now I realise he was absolutely right. Since returning from injury, I’ve focused a lot on my length, and that has made a significant difference," he added.

The pressure Axar builds in the middle overs is crucial: Kuldeep Yadav

Kuldeep also explained his experience of bowling with Axar Patel since his Under-17 days. They are bowling in tandem for the Capitals in the ongoing IPL 2025.

"Axar and I have been playing together since our U-17 days, so our understanding is very smooth. We have a very clear-cut communication style. I remember during the U-19 World Cup in 2012, when we won in Australia under Unmukt Chand’s captaincy, we were both in standby. We’ve been together since then, which speaks volumes about our bond," Kuldeep said.

Kuldeep explained how he and Axar plan against opposition batters. The former said that the DC captain tries to build pressure on the batters by bowling dot balls while he looks to capitalise on it and pick up wickets.

"Our bowling partnership has always been simple. I have always been an attacking bowler, while Axar provides control, which creates pressure on the batsmen. That pressure often converts into wickets—either for him, for me, or for someone else bowling at the time. The pressure Axar builds in the middle overs is crucial, and our communication is seamless when discussing plans. Like I used to understand Chahal’s game, I have the same understanding with Axar. While our bowling styles differ, my mindset remains very clear when bowling alongside him," he added.