"He is the same player who cried in an IPL match" - Aakash Chopra lauds Kuldeep Yadav's spell in IND vs AUS 2024 T20 World Cup clash
Aakash Chopra has lauded Kuldeep Yadav for overcoming difficult times and delivering a match-defining spell in India's 2024 T20 World Cup win against Australia. The left-arm wrist-spinner registered figures of 2/24 in four overs.
India set Australia a 206-run target in their final Group 1 Super 8 game in Saint Lucia on Monday, June 24. The Aussies managed only 181/7 in reply, losing the game by 24 runs and eventually getting knocked out of the tournament after Afghanistan defeated Bangladesh later in the day.
Reflecting on India's bowling in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra noted that Kuldeep endured a bad season a few years ago.
"Kuldeep Yadav - there are many stories. Remember, he is the same player who cried in an IPL match. This is the same Kuldeep Yadav who sat on the bench for an entire year and was dropped in every format," he said (6:55).
The former India opener praised the spinner for bouncing back from his lows and delivering telling performances.
"However, if you see Kuldeep Yadav now, you can see the entire Test series against England, the performance in the entire ODI World Cup, and the last match or this one, he has been absolutely outstanding. He bowled four overs here and conceded only 24 runs and picked up two wickets, and who were the two victims - Mitchell Marsh and Glenn Maxwell. What a player. The rise and rise of Kuldeep Yadav," Chopra elaborated.
Kuldeep had Mitchell Marsh brilliantly caught by Axar Patel at deep square leg for a 28-ball 37. He then castled Glenn Maxwell, who threatened to take the game away from India while scoring 20 runs off 12 deliveries.
"A bank of 8 overs with at least 4 wickets" - Aakash Chopra on Kuldeep Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah
Aakash Chopra pointed out that Kuldeep Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah are the two lethal weapons in India's bowling attack.
"What a bowler Bumrah is. Just think about it, he did concede 15 runs in the first two overs, but he gave only 29 runs in four overs. Kuldeep Yadav gave only 24 runs in his four overs. What a bowling lineup - a bank of eight overs with at least four wickets. They got three in this match for sure," he said in the same video (9:10).
The renowned commentator also praised Arshdeep Singh (3/37 in four overs) and Axar Patel (1/21 in three overs) for bowling decent spells.
"Arshdeep picked up wickets in the end. He is proving slightly expensive but it's okay, he took wickets with the new and old ball. Axar picked up a wicket as well (apart from an amazing catch). He dismissed Marcus Stoinis, who is a dangerous batter," Chopra elaborated.
On the flip side, Chopra added that while Hardik Pandya leaked a few runs, Ravindra Jadeja was found wanting both with the ball and in the field.
"Hardik Pandya was slightly expensive. Jaddu dropped a catch and conceded 17 runs in the one over he bowled. The rhythm is not yet seen in his batting. So that is a troubling thing because you expect better performance from Jaddu 10 out of 10 times. That improvement must happen," he observed.
Hardik went wicketless and conceded 47 runs in four overs. Jadeja gave away 17 runs in his only over and dropped Pat Cummins in the final over, a lapse which didn't prove expensive.