Have rhythm, will groove - Kuldeep plays a joyful tune

It's been a rough few months for Kuldeep Yadav, but on Sunday, he served up another reminder of just how good he can be in ODIs

Ashish Pant

Published: Sep 28, 2026, 3:24 AM (2 hrs ago)

3:17

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Kuldeep Yadav jumped with childlike enthusiasm, throwing his arms around Shubman Gill as the big screen at Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram flashed "OUT". It had taken him almost the entire 15 seconds to first convince KL Rahul and then his captain to send the lbw decision against Justin Greaves upstairs. When the decision finally went his way, Kuldeep held Gill in a bear hug, smiling from ear to ear.

Before Virat Kohli sent the crowd into a frenzy, before Gill brought out his signature bow to celebrate a tenth ODI ton, it was Kuldeep bailing India out.

He usually isn't big on over-the-top celebrations. In the opening ODI against West Indies, though, there seemed to be something bubbling over. With every wicket, the fist pumps carried a bit more gusto, the arms flew in celebration and the grin grew bigger.

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That Kuldeep is an out-and-out rhythm bowler has been established plenty of times over the course of his nine-year international career. When on top of his game, everything in his action flows well: the jump, the delivery stride, the way he uses his wrists to power the ball through or when he lobs the ball above a batter's eyeline trying to set him up. Pick out any of his top spells in ODI cricket - whenever he's hit his rhythm early into an innings, he has dominated oppositions. Sunday was one such day.

Kuldeep found his groove almost from the get-go in Thiruvananthapuram. It helped that he was coming up against a team he's had tremendous success against before this game: 33 wickets in 18 innings at an economy of 4.72. It also helped that since the start of 2025, for Full Members, West Indies had the poorest average and the third-poorest economy against spin in ODIs. But on a surface where the bowlers weren't getting much purchase, India needed Kuldeep's left-arm wristpin magic.

He was brought into the attack in the 16th over with West Indies having raced to 107 for no loss. He had seen three fast bowlers complete their opening bursts, Ravindra Jadeja being taken for 26 runs in his first four overs, and even debutant offspinner Naman Dhir bowling two overs.

"When you are enjoying your bowling, when you are a bit relaxed as well, then your performance peaks. So sometimes to get that confidence back, you have to have a bowling spell like this"

Kuldeep Yadav

Kuldeep lobbed the first ball above Greaves' eyeline at 82.3kph. The next ball was a wrong'un in the mid-80kph range which found the leading edge. He ended the over with an 86kph fullish ball almost yorking Greaves. While the over did not yield a wicket, Kuldeep had found his pulse. It took him eight more balls for his first strike, with John Campbell top-edging a tossed-up ball to short fine leg. Kuldeep was away.

"Personally I liked my rhythm," Kuldeep said after the game on the broadcast. "I was very calm in my rhythm and [was] just trying to bowl whatever I felt like bowling. Just varying the pace, [and my] variations were superb, just reading the batters, where they are going to hit me. I found myself in very good rhythm.

"And I believe the rhythm, it's all about your flow, bowling flow. When you are comfortable and when you are in good flow, then everything looks so good. There's still a chance to improve and, yeah, I'm going to stick with the same rhythm. That's the most important thing. Any format I play, it's just you feeling comfortable in your rhythm and in your flow."

West Indies were going at over seven runs an over when Kuldeep got his first wicket in the 20th over. By the time they reached the 30th, the run rate had dipped below the six mark, with Kuldeep going at just over four an over. But despite the slowdown in scoring, West Indies were only two down after 33 overs and on a placid track with a powerful middle order, Gill could ill-afford complacency.

He went back to Kuldeep in the 33rd over in an attempt to dislodge West Indies' main man, Shai Hope. Kuldeep duly obliged. Hope, in a bid to up the scoring, charged down the track. He had anticipated the angle coming into him as he attempted a cross-batted hoick. Only this time, Kuldeep had pushed the ball up at 84kph not allowing Hope to get to the pitch of the ball. The resultant top-edge flew over backward point where Jadeja completed the catch.

In his next over, Kuldeep had Greaves and Jewel Andrew walking back off successive balls as West Indies slipped from 194 for 2 to 198 for 5. He finished his spell with 4 for 40 and was comfortably the best bowler across the two teams.

"It always feels nice when you enjoy your bowling. And that's where you achieve your best," Kuldeep said. "When you are enjoying your bowling, when you are a bit relaxed as well, then your performance peaks. So sometimes to get that confidence back, you have to have a bowling spell like this. And it definitely grows your confidence."

It's been a rough year for Kuldeep. Out of the ten ODIs (including the one on Sunday) and 28 T20Is that India have played in 2026, Kuldeep has been part of just five ODIs and four T20Is. He travelled with the Indian team across England for five T20Is and three ODIs, but did not get a game, despite India going down in both series. He played the first Test against Sri Lanka, but was dropped for the second and wasn't part of the T20I squads against Zimbabwe and Afghanistan. Even against West Indies, would Kuldeep have been picked if Axar Patel and Washington Sundar weren't at the Asian Games?

Since his ODI debut in 2017, no spinner has taken more wickets than Kuldeep's 198 in the format. His average (26.7) and economy rate (5.06) can put some of the best bowlers going around to shade, yet the Kuldeep question keeps the jury divided.

It's likely Kohli's 15,000 ODI runs and Gill's stellar century will capture the headlines from the first ODI, but with the World Cup just a year away, Kuldeep has served another timely reminder that he's still right there.

Ashish Pant is a sub-editor with Cricinfo

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