For Kuldeep Yadav, the last few years have been overwhelming. The Chinese bowler has consistently outperformed everyone with his abilities, whether it be in the IPL or for Team India. But before then, he did not have a simple existence. Kuldeep struggled with his performance till 2021 and was also benched from the Indian team. He was benched for the whole season during his last campaign with Kolkata Knight Riders, which was nothing short of a nightmare. At the same time, injuries continued making things worse and made him question his abilities.
But when Delhi Capitals selected Kuldeep at the major players’ auction, 2022 became Kuldeep’s ray of hope. He thrived well under Rishabh Pant’s direction and finished the season with 16 wickets. Overall, he had a fantastic season, but few people are aware that head coach Ricky Ponting was instrumental in bringing out the best in Kuldeep.
Kuldeep recently spoke about being signed by the Delhi Capitals for the 2022 season. Speaking on the YouTube program “Breakfast with Champions,” he said that before the season began, Ponting contacted him and promised that the spinner would play all 14 games.
I received a mail from Ricky Ponting when I joined the Delhi Capitals. I spoke with him briefly. I was supposed to be taken to the team by him. In the first game, he promised me one thing: “You’ll play all 14 games regardless.” You are my major participant. Don’t believe that you will be fired for underperforming. Then I believed I was finally a part of the team,” Kuldeep said in the program.
He went on to describe the difficult times he went through while recovering from surgery. He said that while he often lost his temper and had mood swings, Yuzvendra Chahal, another cast member, was always there to encourage him.
“In the Indian squad, Chahal and I get along well. We had been playing together for a very long time. I’ve spoken to him about everything since my operation. We spoke often while I was recovering. because I sometimes had emotional swings. I was getting upset every fifteen minutes. I thus talked to him often, and he often gave me a lot of confidence. And he would reply, “It’s all right. You’ll have a triumphant return, Kuldeep assured the audience.