Rishabh Pant’s captaincy has certainly played a big role in the return of Kuldeep Yadav and the spinner sees glimpses of the great Mahendra Singh Dhoni in his current Delhi Capitals captain. The 27-year-old Kuldeep has so far taken 13 wickets in the current IPL season, including four in the match against his former team Kolkata Knight Riders.
Kuldeep said on ‘DC Podcast’, “I think behind the wicket Rishabh is showing some glimpse of Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s character. He guides well and is patient on the field. The credit for my performance in IPL also goes to Rishabh. We have a good understanding now.”
The Uttar Pradesh spinner, who was bought by the Delhi team in the big IPL auction, said the freedom and security he got from his new franchise has helped him do well this year. Kuldeep, who played with Knight Riders for seven years from 2014 to 2021, said, “When you get the freedom to express yourself, you start enjoying everything.”
“When I spoke to Ricky (Ponting) during my first practice session, he told me that I am bowling very well and he is looking at playing me in all 14 matches. This conversation with him inspired me a lot. Kuldeep, who has taken 53 wickets in 52 IPL matches so far, also credits his success to working with assistant coach Shane Watson.
He said, “Shane Watson helped me a lot. I am fortunate enough to have worked with Watson for 3-4 seasons. He worked with me mainly on the mental aspect of the game.” Delhi Capitals face Kolkata Knight Riders in their second leg match at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday.