New Delhi: In an era where T20 scores routinely race past 200 and bowlers are often judged simply on the amount of runs they concede, Kuldeep Yadav believes the biggest danger for a spinner is not getting hit but losing faith in their own strengths.
Kuldeep pushed back against the increasingly common notion that bowlers, particularly wrist-spinners, have no option but to go into survival mode in a high-scoring format. The left-arm wrist-spinner said modern T20 cricket has changed the way young bowlers think. Many enter games with the default mindset of expecting to be hit, particularly on small grounds and flat pitches but Kuldeep believes that mindset is exactly what bowlers must avoid.
His experience, now extending to 95 wickets in 52 T20Is and 104 wickets in 96 IPL matches, offers a kind of guidance for the modern T20 spinner. They cannot afford to think like a bowler merely trying to survive. In a format increasingly tilted towards batter.
“It is very important for spinners to keep their strength in mind,” Kuldeep said ahead of Delhi Capitals’ next IPL fixture against Mumbai Indians – their first at home at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in the capital city. “When batters put you under pressure, you lose your strength. You look for safer options to get out of that situation. I believe you should focus on your strength.”
For Kuldeep, that means resisting the temptation to become defensive after one boundary or an expensive over. Instead, he believes a spinner’s mindset must remain attacking, even in a format where one batter can quickly dominate.
“Don’t give up on your ability and strength,” he said. “The team expects you to bowl and take wickets. Sometimes you get a wicket, sometimes you don’t. Your mindset should be attacking.”
“You can never think that this is just a high-scoring game,” he said. “Youngsters, especially wrist-spinners, always think there are high-scoring matches and runs will be scored. Obviously, runs will be scored because T20 is like that but it is not necessary that you will always go for 40-45 runs.”
Kuldeep admitted that even he has had to adjust to the changing nature of the format. He has had his fair share of ups and downs in both international cricket and IPL and he knows a thing or two about changing his mindset and approach.
“Earlier, I used to feel bad when I would concede 10-15 runs in a row,” he said. “But now that feeling is changing because of this high-scoring game.”
“Always read the batters, what he expects from you. Try to stay one step ahead of him,” he said. “You should predict what he is going to do and bowl accordingly. You get nervous too, but if you have proper training and your routine is set, you will be confident.”
And when that batter gets the better of you for an over, Kuldeep believes the response cannot be to retreat. “In T20, it is not like three or four batters will attack you,” he said. “Usually, one batter will target you and score so you have to be ready for that challenge.”
Speaking about how much pre-planning and reacting to the situation is part of his process, he said, “When it comes to dismissals, you react to where the batter is playing and what he is looking to do. Obviously, the batter is also reacting according to the ball, but somewhere he pre-plans that he can score here or play that shot.”
“If you play with someone for a long time, you get an idea of what his strength is and where he can play. So this planning is always there and in the mind. Whenever a new batter comes in, it is a little challenging because you don’t know how he plays overall, but confidence is very important, and that comes from preparation.”
