Kuldeep

Yadav

Kuldeep Yadav Biography and Career

You may be familiar with a rare bowling style known as the 'Chinaman' technique, where a left-arm bowler uses their wrist to spin the ball in an unconventional manner. The India men's national cricket team did not have a bowler who mastered this style until Kuldeep Yadav joined the team in 2017. Yadav became the first Indian Chinaman bowler. Yadav, India’s premier left-arm wrist-spinner, initially desired to become a fast bowler, however, under his coach's guidance, he transitioned to wrist spin. This decision later proved to be transformative and he became a unique weapon in India’s bowling line-up. In his Test debut against Australia in Dharamshala on March 25, 2017, Yadav took four wickets in the first innings and is only the third such bowler in Test cricket to take four wickets on debut. 

Yadav's first five wickets came in a T20 International match against England on July 3, 2018. He also became only the third Indian after Yuzvendra Chahal and Bhuvneshwar Kumar to take a five-wicket haul in a T20I.  During the first ODI against England on July 12, 2018, Yadav took his maiden five-wicket haul in an ODI and also set a new record for registering the best bowling figures (6/25) by a left-arm spin bowler of any kind in an ODI. Such figures made Yadav an integral part of India’s limited-overs setup. 

One of the highlights of his career is his ability to take hat-tricks. On September 21, 2017, Yadav took a hat-trick in an ODI against Australia. He became the third Indian bowler to take a hat-trick in an ODI after Chetan Sharma and Kapil Dev. His accomplishments didn't stop there -- on December 18, 2019, he took his second hat-trick against West Indies, making him the first Indian bowler to record two hat-tricks in ODIs. 

Yadav's outstanding performance earned him a spot on India's squad for the 2019 Cricket World Cup. However, between 2020 and 2022, he experienced a dip in form and suffered a knee injury. But in Asia Cup 2023, Yadav bounced back and performed exceptionally well. India won the tournament and Yadav was named player of the tournament. 

A key component in India’s bowling lineup, Yadav is also well-known for his partnership with Chahal, fondly called as “Kul-Cha”. Together, they caused significant disruption in the middle overs, especially during the 2017 and 2018 seasons. 

Yadav’s IPL journey started with Mumbai Indians (MI) in 2012, however, he didn't get the chance to play in his debut season. In 2016, he was picked up by the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and made his IPL debut. However, he later expressed regret about his time with KKR (from 2016 to 2020) because he did not perform as well as he had hoped. His performance improved significantly after he joined the Delhi Capitals (DC). 

For his remarkable performance in the T20 World Cup 2024, Yadav received high praise from fans, who named him the ‘Best Spinner in the World Cricket’. This honour came after his impressive performance, especially when he took crucial wickets against Bangladesh during the Super 8 match. 

Despite setbacks from injuries and form dips in recent years, Yadav has demonstrated remarkable resilience. His recent return to form in the IPL and ODIs highlights his commitment to evolving as a cricketer. 

Beyond Cricket 

Apart from cricket, Kuldeep Yadav is known for his grounded personality and strong ties to his roots. He often shares glimpses of his life off the field with his fans via social media, where he posts about his training, travel experiences and moments with family. An avid football lover, Yadav is a passionate supporter of FC Barcelona. He also wishes to do something for Indian football. Apart from football, he enjoys spending time with his pets and exploring new cuisines during his travels.  

He is also passionate about fitness and regularly shares videos of his training routines on social media, encouraging fans to prioritise health. Additionally, his philanthropic efforts, such as participating in charity matches and initiatives, reflect his desire to give back to the community. 

Beyond cricket, Yadav has endorsed brands like Evergreen Tea, Adidas, Oppo, Unacademy, Uttar Pradesh Election Commission and GoodGamer fantasy sports. 

Kuldeep Yadav Records 
Kuldeep Yadav ODI Records 

• Only Indian bowler with two ODI hat-tricks: One against Australia in 2017 and the second against West Indies in 2019. 

• Best ODI bowling figures: Took 6 wickets by giving just 25 runs against England in 2018, breaking Shahid Afridi's record for registering the best bowling figures by a spinner against England in ODIs. 

• Fastest Indian spin bowler to take 100 ODI wickets: In his 58th innings, Yadav became the fastest Indian spin bowler to take 100 ODI wickets on January 17, 2020.  

• Fourth-best bowling analysis in an inning in ODIs: Yadav has an outstanding bowling analysis of 4/6 in ODIs. 

Kuldeep Yadav Test Records 

• Made the Indian record for the least ball taken to complete 50 Test wickets: 

Yadav earned the 50-wicket milestone in just 1,871 balls, making it the fastest for an Indian player in Test cricket, followed by Axar Patel (2,205 balls) and Jasprit Bumrah (2,520 balls). 

• Third left-arm spinner and the first from India to claim over 50 Test wickets: 

After South Africa's Paul Adams and England's Johnny Wardle, Yadav became the third and India's first left-arm spinner to take more than 50 Test wickets.  

Kuldeep Yadav T20I Records 

• First left-arm wrist-spin bowler to take five wickets in a T20I during the first T20I against England: On July 3, 2018, Yadav took his first five wickets in a T20 International and also became the first left-arm wrist-spin bowler to take five wickets in a T20I during the first T20I against England. 

• He also became only the third Indian player after Yuzvendra Chahal and Bhuvneshwar Kumar to take a five-wicket haul in a T20I. 

• Second position in the T20I Bowlers Rankings: Yadav moved to second position in the T20I Bowlers Rankings on February 11, 2019. 

• Best bowling figure: Yadav has a best bowling figure of 5/17 against South Africa.  

Kuldeep Yadav IPL Records  

• Player-of-the-match award: Yadav has been awarded the player-of-the-match title four times, the most by any player in the 2022 season. 

• IPL 2022 -- the most prolific IPL season: Yadav took 21 wickets at a strike rate of 14.19, finishing in the tournament's top-five wicket-takers. 

• Best bowling figure against KKR in IPL (2022): Yadav's 4/14 at Wankhede in 2022, is the fifth-best bowling figure against KKR in IPL. 

Kuldeep Yadav World Cup Records 

• India’s third-most successful spinner in ODI World Cups: With 21 wickets in 17 matches, Yadav became the third-most successful spinner in the tournament's history. He surpassed Harbhajan Singh's wicket tally in the semi-final match against New Zealand (ODI World Cup 2023).