Kuldeep Yadav is an Indian international cricketer who plays for the Indian national team across all three formats. A left-arm wrist-spinner — a relatively rare bowling style in international cricket — he is also a left-handed lower-order batsman. He has represented Uttar Pradesh in domestic cricket and has played for several franchises in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Key Facts
| Full name | Kuldeep Yadav |
|---|---|
| Date of birth | 14 December 1994 |
| Place of birth | Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India |
| Batting style | Left-handed |
| Bowling style | Slow left-arm wrist spin (chinaman) |
| Role | Bowler |
| Domestic team | Uttar Pradesh |
| IPL teams | Kolkata Knight Riders, Delhi Capitals |
| National side | India |
Background
Kuldeep Yadav was born in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. He began his cricket training under coach Kapil Pandey at the Rovers Cricket Academy in Kanpur. Originally aspiring to be a fast bowler, he switched to left-arm wrist spin on his coach's advice, a style associated with cricketers such as the Australian Chuck Fleetwood-Smith and, more recently, Brad Hogg.
Domestic career
Kuldeep made his first-class debut for Uttar Pradesh in the Ranji Trophy in the 2014–15 season. He has since been a regular member of the state side in domestic competitions including the Ranji Trophy, Vijay Hazare Trophy and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
He was part of the India squad that won the 2014 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup runners-up campaign in the United Arab Emirates, where he took a hat-trick against Scotland — becoming the first Indian to take a hat-trick in an Under-19 World Cup.
Indian Premier League
Kuldeep was first signed by Mumbai Indians but did not feature in matches for them. He was later picked up by Kolkata Knight Riders, with whom he established himself as a leading spinner in the league. He was subsequently signed by Delhi Capitals, where he has continued to play in the IPL.
International career
Test cricket
Kuldeep made his Test debut for India against Australia in March 2017 at Dharamsala, taking four wickets in the first innings. He became the first Indian wrist-spinner to take a five-wicket haul in a Test innings since Narendra Hirwani in many years, and he later took multiple Test five-wicket hauls in matches against opponents such as Australia and the West Indies.
One Day Internationals
He made his ODI debut against the West Indies in June 2017. Kuldeep became the third Indian — and the first Indian spinner — to take a hat-trick in ODI cricket when he dismissed three Australian batters in a match at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, in September 2017. He took a second ODI hat-trick against the West Indies in Visakhapatnam in December 2019, becoming the first male bowler to take two hat-tricks in ODI cricket for India.
Twenty20 Internationals
Kuldeep made his T20I debut in 2017. He has been part of India's white-ball squads in major ICC events, including ICC Cricket World Cup and ICC Men's T20 World Cup campaigns, and has frequently partnered leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal in a combination popularly nicknamed "KulCha" by Indian media and fans.
Playing style
As a left-arm wrist-spinner, Kuldeep relies on flight, dip and sharp turn rather than pace through the air. His stock ball turns away from right-handed batsmen, while his googly — turning into the right-hander — is regarded as one of his most effective deliveries. His variations include a slider and a topspinner, and he is generally used as an attacking, wicket-taking option in the middle overs in limited-overs cricket.
Significance
Kuldeep Yadav is one of the few left-arm wrist-spinners to have established a sustained international career. His emergence, alongside Yuzvendra Chahal, marked a tactical shift in Indian limited-overs cricket in the late 2010s, with the team relying on attacking wrist spin rather than traditional finger spin in the middle overs. His two ODI hat-tricks and Under-19 World Cup hat-trick make him a notable figure in Indian cricket statistics.
Related topics
- Indian cricket team
- Yuzvendra Chahal
- Kolkata Knight Riders
- Delhi Capitals
- Uttar Pradesh cricket team
- Indian Premier League
- Ranji Trophy
- 2014 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup
- Chinaman bowling
References
- Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) player profiles.
- International Cricket Council (ICC) player records.
- ESPNcricinfo player profile and statistics.