ODI World Cup 2023: Kuldeep Yadav explains changes which helped in his transformation ahead of Australia assignment

Team India is all set to kick off its ODI World Cup 2023 campaign as they gear up to face off against the Pat Cummins-led Australia. Both sides will take centre stage at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, on October 8. Coming on the back of an ODI series win against Australia and a title victory at the recently concluded Asia Cup 2023, Rohit Sharma-led India will be keen on putting in similar performances and getting off to a positive start to the ODI World Cup 2023.

As the game approaches, one of the biggest players to watch out for against Australia would be ace Indian spinner, Kuldeep Yadav. After going through significant ups and downs ever since 2021, Kuldeep has successfully reinvented himself and has once again found his place in India’s starting lineup. Sustaining an injury during the IPL 2021, Kuldeep Yadav was out of contention for several months.

Furthermore, upon his return, he seemed to have lost his mojo and his place in the Indian starting lineup as well. However, through resilience and incredible determination, the 28-year-old had managed to rise through the ranks once again.

“I worked on making my rhythm faster, bowled it in a practice game in Kanpur and found that the batsmen found it difficult, Then I returned to the Indian team for the tour of the West Indies but couldn‘t find my rhythm. Even in the IPL, my rhythm was breaking. It took about six to seven months for it to work,” Kuldeep Yadav was quoted as saying by Fox Cricket.

Kuldeep Yadav leading wicket-taker in ODIs among World Cup 2023 bowlers

Meanwhile, speaking of the ongoing ODI World Cup 2023, the games have seen batters making merry on the pitches so far considering the last game between South Africa and Sri Lanka which shattered record books in the ODI World Cup 2023. Hence as India begin their campaign, life for bowlers is not going to be easy. Therefore the role of Kuldeep becomes even more important, especially in the middle overs of the game.

Also Read: ODI World Cup 2023 Points Table

Furthermore, Kuldeep Yadav current leads the list of wicket-takers in ODIs amongst the players competing in the World Cup, surpassing the likes of Maheesh Theekshana, Shaheen Afridi, and many more. As India’s clash against Australia approaches, it could be interesting to see how the Australian batters will target Kuldeep Yadav and how the ace spinner will look to dismiss the Aussie stars.

Also Read: ODI World Cup 2023 Schedule