Birthday special: Kuldeep Yadav – The spinner who has mastered the rarest craft

Having started as a fast bowler when he first joined a cricket academy in Kanpur, Kuldeep Yadav and his coach recognized that his talents did not align with the task, and from there began his story. Had it not been for his coach Kapil Pandey, the chinaman, born on 14th December 1994, Kuldeep Yadav would have been rolling his arms over as a pacer today. After a significant period, Kuldeep was asked by his coach to switch to left-arm wrist-spin – a rare breed of bowlers in the world of cricket.

His art led him to attract the attention of many immediately when he set the 2014 U-19 World Cup on fire by becoming India’s leading wicket-taker in the tournament. This was not his first appearance in the U19 WC as he played his first India U-19 game in April 2012 at the age of 17. Although, despite consistently taking wickets, he failed to hog the limelight. But come to the 2014 edition, Kuldeep was the talk of the tournament. He named himself the record of becoming the first Indian bowler to take a hat-trick in the history of the tournament.

95 international matches 👍
174 international wickets 👌
Only #TeamIndia bowler to take multiple hat-tricks in international cricket 👏

Here’s wishing @imkuldeep18 a very happy birthday. 🎂 👏 pic.twitter.com/3jLGBKAXkK

— BCCI (@BCCI) December 14, 2021

International debut and exploits

He gained more exposure in the domestic circuit and he once again responded well as he bamboozled many batsmen in the 2016 Duleep Trophy, and ended his tournament tally at 17 wickets in three matches, thereby playing a major role in leading his side to the final of the tournament. Despite not getting too many chances, Kuldeep’s style of bowling and his labour gained recognition gradually at the national level, and he had delivered enough performances of substance to get a call-up to the Indian squad for the Test series against Australia in 2017.

Getting his maiden Test cap by one of his idols, Anil Kumble, in Dharamsala, a young and energetic Yadav deceived the Aussies convincingly. He finished with four wickets on debut, laying the platform for a crucial Indian win as the coveted Border-Gavaskar trophy returned to India. Following those performances, he was included in India’s ODI squad for the series against West Indies in October 2017, where he ended up as the joint highest wicket-taker, and he made his first-class and List A debuts shortly after.

Kuldeep Yadav’s first Test on Aussie soil and he collects a five-wicket haul!#AUSvIND | @Domaincomau pic.twitter.com/e29NWD6oyZ

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) January 6, 2019

After a rather shocking exclusion for the first three ODIs in Sri Lanka, Yadav made a return in the final two matches and the subsequent Australia series, in which he made a strong statement by bagging a hat-trick against the Aussies, thereby becoming only the third India bowler after Kapil Dev and Chetan Sharma to take an ODI hat-trick.

Having risen through the ranks with his hard work, the young sensation from Kanpur, who turns 27 today, has faded away from international cricket. He has struggled with his bowling form and he will soon be hoping to make a formidable comeback. We wish him a great year ahead.