“He is the same player who cried in an IPL match,” praises Aakash Chopra for Kuldeep Yadav’s perseverance following a difficult period.

Kuldeep Yadav of India struck a match-winning spell against Australia in a key encounter that was a must-win for his team at the ICC T20 World Cup 2024, guiding them to a vital 24-run victory. India amassed a massive 205 runs in the St Lucia match, led by captain Rohit Sharma’s explosive 92 off 41 balls.

Despite Travis Head’s impressive start (76 off 43), Australia’s chase was undone by India’s outstanding bowling attack. Australia was all but eliminated from the main event with the loss.

Among India’s bowlers, Yadav’s performance was particularly noteworthy. The left-arm wrist-spinner took vital wickets of Mitchell Marsh and Glenn Maxwell in his four overs, conceding just 24 runs. The key to limiting Australia to 181/7 was this spell.

When cricketer-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra looked back on Yadav’s path, he revealed how the player who spent nearly a year waiting on the bench without much opportunity is now turning in game-winning performances.

“Kuldeep Yadav possesses an abundance of stories. Recall that this is the same player who sobbed during an IPL game. On his YouTube channel, Chopra stated, “This is the same Kuldeep Yadav who was dropped in every format and benched for a full year.”

Kuldeep Yadav’s ascent and ascent: Aakash Chopra

He even mentioned Kuldeep’s exploits from the home ODI World Cup last year and the subsequent Test series against England. He praised the Chinese player for both his comeback and the significant wickets he claimed in the match against Australia.

But if you look at Kuldeep Yadav right now, you can see that he has been nothing short of extraordinary throughout the entire Test series against England, the ODI World Cup, and this most recent encounter. Here, he bowled four overs, giving up just 24 runs and claiming two wickets. Mitchell Marsh and Glenn Maxwell were the two victims. What a teammate. Kuldeep Yadav’s ascent and ascent,” Chopra continued.

The pundit also emphasised how effective Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah are together in India’s bowling attack. Yadav’s ability to take wickets and Bumrah’s economical stint of 1/19 combined to build a dangerous eight-over bank for the side.

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“Bumrah, what a bowler. Consider this: although he did give up 15 runs in the first two overs, he only allowed up 29 runs in the latter four overs. Just 24 runs were scored by Kuldeep Yadav in his four overs. A bank of eight overs with at least four wickets – what a bowling lineup. They definitely scored three in this game,” he said.