Kuldeep Yadav (BCCI Photo) NEW DELHI: Who wants to sit on the bench and watch teammates on the field? Who wouldn’t want to see his name on the team sheet? This can be frustrating for any player. But Kuldeep Yadav handled it with remarkable composure.Whether it was carrying drinks, delivering messages from the coach, bringing out bats or clapping his teammates with a smile, Kuldeep remained fully involved with the team despite not being in the playing eleven.In the recently concluded T20 World Cup, where India lifted the title after defeating New Zealand in the final, teams often opted for strong spin combinations. Kuldeep was expected to play a bigger role but that didn’t materialise.
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Sameer Rizvi on batting: simple mindset, big impact for DCIndia played eight matches in the tournament, including the final, but Kuldeep featured in just one game – the highly-rated encounter against Pakistan. He bowled three overs, gave away 14 runs and conceded one wicket.After that, he did not get another opportunity in the playing eleven.Ahead of the IPL 2026 clash between Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Indians, Kuldeep spoke about how to deal with the challenge of being benched.“Preparation becomes key, especially when you don’t get matches. I made sure there was no gap in my preparation so whenever the opportunity came, I was ready,” Kuldeep told reporters ahead of the DC vs MI clash in New Delhi.“Even when you’re not playing, it’s important to be with the team, attend training sessions and keep yourself ready for the game. Whether you’re playing or not, your attitude should always be that you’re ready for the next game,” he added.“Confidence comes from preparation. If your training and routines are on point, you will naturally feel confident, even though a bit of nervousness is always there,” said Kuldeep.Kuldeep also emphasized the importance of planning against the batters.“Planning against the batsmen is constant; you assess where they want to score and how they might approach you. It’s more challenging with new batsmen, but overall preparation is what builds confidence,” he added.The 31-year-old is now eager to make it big in IPL 2026.In Delhi Capitals’ opening match against Lucknow Super Giants, Kuldeep put in a solid performance, taking two wickets for 31 runs in four overs. He dismissed Mitchell Marsh and Mukul Choudhary in that game.Now they will face Mumbai Indians in the upcoming encounter.Kuldeep stressed the importance of sticking to his strengths, especially in the T20 format.“It is very important for spinners to stick to their strengths. Whenever the batting puts you under pressure, you tend to forget your strength. You look for a safer option to get out of that situation,” said Kuldeep.“If you’re a striker, don’t let it go. Because that’s your identity and if you’re doing the job for the team, taking goals, it can’t be better than that. Your mindset should be attacking,” he added.“Young spinners think that these are high-scoring games and runs will be hit. Yes, you will be hit for runs because this is a T20 format. But you have to plan accordingly and be prepared. You don’t need to concede 40-45 runs in four overs. If there is a player who dominates, it will happen, or the wicket is very good for batting.”
