Delhi Capitals’ left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav’s dismissal of Mitchell Marsh highlighted his wicket-taking ability and also his courage to stick to what works for him. This was during the team’s season opener, an away match against Lucknow Super Giants earlier this week. Off the first ball of the 10th over, Kuldeep bowled wide outside off stump. Just as the ball began to spin back, Marsh moved his front foot out of the way and unleashed the slog sweep to hit it into the stands beyond deep mid-wicket. Two balls later, Kuldeep’s line was straighter on the middle stump, but the ball was slightly slower. Marsh saw another opportunity to hit a six. He targeted the straight boundary, but the ball didn’t turn toward the right-hander, and the trajectory was straighter. Marsh mistimed the shot and was caught at mid-off. Credit to Kuldeep for not bowling faster through the air despite being hit for a six by Marsh. He operated around 84-85 kph and gave the ball flight to keep March interested. The wicket at the Ekana Stadium wasn’t a belter. Kuldeep said it was helpful for spinners. The fast bowlers generated some swing and seam movement as well. Marsh was looking to cut loose, but Kuldeep didn’t panic after getting hit for a six. He stuck to his game plan. Unaffected by lack of game time Kuldeep played just one game, against Pakistan in Colombo on a slow surface, during the entire T20 World Cup. (Photo Credit: BCCI/CREIMAS) Before IPL 2026, Kuldeep didn’t have much game time. He played just one game, against Pakistan in Colombo on a slow surface, during the entire T20 World Cup. In the interim, he got married. Yet, he didn’t show signs of rustiness in the Delhi Capitals’ first game. In four overs. His figures read 2/31, that also included the wicket of Mukul Choudhary, who had whacked him for two consecutive fours. The game in Lucknow was a low-scoring one, but given the nature of the IPL, bowlers will be put under pressure on flat wickets and relatively smaller grounds. Kuldeep, however, believes bowlers must stick to their strengths.Story continues below this ad “If you are an attacking spinner, it is important to stick to that. You are known for that. If you get wickets for team, then there is nothing better. Your mindset should be attacking. It is important for spinners to stick to their strengths. When a batsman puts you under pressure, you should not deviate from your strength and look for a safer option to overcome the situation. I believe you should keep the focus on your strength. At the same time, you should also understand what is a batsman’s strength. You should be able to read the batsman and be one step ahead,” Kuldeep said on the eve of the match against the Mumbai Indians. Handling pressure Kuldeep also had a message for young spinners, asking them not to crumble under pressure exerted by six-hitting batsmen. He said the mindset was key for those trying to make a mark in the IPL. “Young spinners think that these are high-scoring matches and runs will be hit. Yes, you will be hit for runs because this is the T20 format. But you have to plan accordingly and be ready. It is not necessary that in four overs you will concede 40-45 runs. If there is a player who dominates, then it happens, or the wicket is very good for batting. You have to be ready for the challenge. Grounds can be small. But the attacking mindset is very important. You should be a fighter, you should be able to deal with the situation even if you are put under pressure,” Kuldeep said. Playing against the Mumbai Indians at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Saturday will be challenging for bowlers because of the relatively smaller boundaries. Mumbai Indians’ power-packed batting lineup, comprising an in-form Rohit Sharma, India’s T20 captain Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya are capable of putting the well-rounded Delhi Capitals bowling attack under pressure. With 15 wickets last season at an economy rate of 7.07, Kuldeep was the Delhi Capitals’ highest wicket-taker. Kuldeep is expected to get breakthroughs this season.Story continues below this ad “Confidence is about how well you have prepared. Routine is important. Training has to be proper, then you will be confident.” Talking about how he plots dismissals, Kuldeep said it was about thinking on one’s feet. “You have to react, depending on which area the batsman is trying to play. The batsman too pre-plans where he can score runs off you. If you have played the game for a while, you get an idea of what the strength of a batsman is.”
Kuldeep Yadav backs attacking mindset ahead of DC’s MI clash in IPL 2026: ‘You will be hit for runs in T20s’
