Left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav believes Delhi Capitals’ bowling has been the team’s strong suit so far in Indian Premier League 2022, stating that the fast-bowling department in particular has done well to keep the pressure on the opposition especially during the powerplay.
On Sunday, the spinner returned with figures of 4/35 to help bowl out his former franchise Kolkata Knight Riders for 171 in 19.4 overs to ensure DC won the match by 44 runs.
Also read: IPL 2022: Kuldeep Yadav bags a four-for as Delhi Capitals beat KKR by 44 runs
First, Kuldeep got captain Shreyas Iyer stumped after the his 33-ball blitz. Then, in his fourth over, he struck thrice, including two on successive deliveries, and finished with a superb diving catch off his own bowling to send back Umesh Yadav for nought.
“Our bowling performance has been our biggest positive this season. When we were bowling against Mumbai Indians in our first match, it looked like they were going to score over 200 at one point, but we restricted them to a total of 177/5,” said the spinner said in a media release, according to PTI.
While Kuldeep himself bagged four wickets, he was well supported by pacers Khaleel Ahmed, who dismissed openers Ajinkya Rahane, Venkatesh Iyer and keeper-batter Sam Billing to eventually record bowling figures of 3/25, and Shardul Thakur, who picked 2/30 having dismissed the dangerous Andre Russell and Rasikh Salam.
“The fast bowlers have been bowling really well. They kept the pressure on the opposition in the Powerplay against KKR, which allowed us to bowl freely later on,” he added.
After being awarded player of the match for his performance in the post-match presentation, Kuldeep also reflected on his impressive running catch to dismiss Umesh. He said, “I knew that only I could go for that catch. The ball was quite far away from everyone else. I kept my eye on the ball throughout while running for the catch and managed to reach for the ball in the end. The catch felt really good.
“These two points were really important for us. The morale in the team will be high as we prepare to play for our next game on Saturday. This win will ensure that there is positive energy in the camp during our five-day break.”
(With AFP inputs)